About Mairi

Mairi began playing the piano with teacher Alice Dennis in Aberdeenshire, performing in festivals and concerts from a young age. At 15 years old, she received the Ellie Pirie scholarship from the North East of Scotland Music School (NESMS) and completed ABRSM grade 8 the following year with Joseph Long as her teacher. During this time she was invited to participate in a masterclass with Lucy Parham at the Aberdeen Music Hall, in which she deepened her awareness of expression and character in her playing

Upon beginning her studies in Environmental Science at the University of St Andrews, Mairi was awarded a classical piano scholarship, and in 2021 she passed her DipABRSM with distinction under the guidance of Ancuta Nite-Doyle. She then set out to explore other aspects of piano performance — she joined the university’s jazz big band, quickly picking up new techniques including comping and improvisation. Shortly after, she received a jazz scholarship and studied with Richard Michael during her final year in St Andrews.

In addition to piano performance, Mairi was one of the Music Directors for the A Cappella group The Alleycats. Her arrangements for the group have been described as rhythmically interesting and harmonically rich, and pleased audiences and judges alike in national and international competitions.

Exploring her longterm interest in composing, Mairi also sought teaching in film music and production from multimedia composer Anthony White. She developed further technical skills in these areas through two short courses with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. She has since composed a wide selection of original music for student short films and live storytelling performances. Mairi is working towards combining her passions for music and environmental sustainability with the intention of creating compelling soundtracks for films and documentaries.