Mairi's love-affair with radio began after she graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, majoring in piano & singing. She spent the first decade of her ABC career reading radio news in Sydney, presenting Behind the News with John Hall, broadcasting the Sydney Symphony’s concerts, hosting In Tempo (now The Music Show on Radio National) and the Sydney International Piano Competitions. Mairi also hosted in-flight video and audio programs for major airlines.

From 1988 to 1997 Mairi was based in the UK working as a presenter of music and interview programs for BBC Radio. On Radio 4 she hosted the long-running Woman's Hour and on Radio 3, the Drive program In Tune. She also hosted many BBC Proms in the Royal Albert Hall and toured with the BBC Philharmonic in Europe and the USA as the BBC broadcaster.

Since returning to Australia Mairi has hosted arts programs for Radio National and most programs on ABC Classic FM including Music Makers & the long-running Opera Show.

Mairi regularly presents pre-concert talks and panel discussions and hosts live broadcasts from Melbourne for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, Musica Viva and the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition. She has toured to Europe twice as broadcaster with the MSO.

Mairi coaches musicians and singers in media skills and 'lives the dream', combining her twin loves of music and travel leading annual tours to Europe and the USA.