About Iris Trio

Praised for their “beauty of sound and striking expression” (Bremen Weser Kurier), the Iris Trio – clarinetist Christine Carter, violist Zoë Martin-Doike, and pianist Anna Petrova – is known for their imaginative programming and powerhouse performances. 

Christine Carter Clarinet

Known for her visionary interdisciplinary projects, clarinetist Christine Carter has built an international career as a captivating chamber musician, teaching artist, and scholar. She is the clarinetist of the critically acclaimed Iris Trio, co-founder of the inter-arts Looking Glass Ensemble with dance artist Shannon Litzenberger, and regularly collaborates with Duo Concertante, with whom she has released two albums on Marquis Classics. Having performed across the globe, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House, she has been praised for her “striking musicality” (The Clarinet Journal) and "... “golden legato” (Fanfare Magazine), and her debut recording with the Iris Trio was featured by CBC as a top ten classical release in 2020.

She has also performed extensively as an orchestral musician, including engagements with the New World Symphony, Montréal Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Nova Scotia, and Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and under the batons of some of the world’s finest conductors, such as Lorin Maazel, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, and Fabio Luisi. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Manhattan School of Music, is currently an Associate Professor of Music at Memorial University in Canada, and was recently elected to the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. Christine is a Buffet Crampon Artist. 

Zoë Martin-Doike​ Viola

Violinist/violist Zoë Martin-Doike is an exciting and versatile artist who engages in a wide variety of musical activities. A passionate chamber musician, Zoë was a founding violinist of the Aizuri Quartet, which garnered top prizes at the Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition and held residencies at the Curtis Institute of Music and Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia while she was a member. She has also received top prizes at the Primrose International Viola Competition and Lennox International Young Artist Competition on viola and violin, respectively, and most recently won the 2019 Kaleidoscope Chamber Orchestra Competition, earning a solo appearance with the group the following season. Zoë has attended the Steans Institute at Ravinia as well as the Sarasota, Norfolk, Taos, and Marlboro Music Festivals. She did her undergraduate studies with renowned violinist, Pamela Frank at the Curtis Institute of Music, where she served as concertmaster for the 2011-12 season, and her master’s degree at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she double-majored in violin and viola under the tutelage of Mimi Zweig and Atar Arad.

Zoë has been a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra since 2018, and frequently joins the Philadelphia Orchestra for international touring.

Anna Petrova Piano

Praised for her "artistic, clear and enlightened" performances (BBC Magazine) that showcase "refined virtuosity and underlying passion" (Ritmo Magazine), Bulgarian pianist Anna Petrova embraces a multifaceted career as a soloist, chamber musician, educator, and artistic director. She has been the recipient of top honors and awards at international piano competitions, including the Queen Elisabeth and Jose Roca Competitions, leading her to perform in renowned venues such as Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing.

An avid chamber musician, Anna is a member of two award-winning ensembles: the Carr-Petrova Duo, and Iris Trio. Alongside her performing career, she shares her passion for music education as the Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Louisville. Anna’s latest project is serving as the Co-Artistic director of ATX Chamber Music and Jazz: a non-profit organization curating extraordinary musical experiences and offering educational opportunities to the local Austin community.

About Iris Trio

Praised for their “beauty of sound and striking expression” (Bremen Weser Kurier), the Iris Trio (clarinetist Christine Carter, violist Zoë Martin-Doike, and pianist Anna Petrova) are known for their imaginative programming and powerhouse performances.

They were launched to the international stage in 2013 with a sold-out debut at the German Consulate in New York City. An invitation to the prestigious Mozartfest Würzburg (Germany) soon followed, where they gave the world premiere of Christof Weiß’s Conversation Among Friends at the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Residence Palace and were featured in Michael Wende & Andreea Varga’s documentary, MozartLabor. They have since toured extensively throughout North America and Europe, including performances at the National Arts Centre (Ottawa), Canadian Opera Company (Toronto), Piano Salon Christophori (Berlin), Sendesaal (Bremen), Robert Schumann Haus (Zwickau), and Geneva Music Festival (NY), and ensemble residencies at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Queen’s University, and Western University, to name a few.

The Trio’s debut album, Homage and Inspiration, was released in 2020 on the German label Coviello Classics to international acclaim, with the Canadian Broadcasting Company selecting it as one of “10 upcoming Canadian classical albums to get excited about,” Fanfare Magazine praising it as “a five-star, real stand-out release,” and The American Record Guide noting the ensemble’s “…great beauty, clarity, prowess, authenticity, and teamwork.” Project Earth, the trio’s genre-defying response to the planetary crisis, has been similarly embraced for its significance and stunning newly commissioned music and poetry. The Blue Chapter of the project was the subject of a feature story in the Ottawa Citizen and will be released on the Centrediscs label in Winter 2024.

Collectively, the members of the Iris Trio hold positions at Memorial University, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and the University of Louisville, and have performed around the world on major concert stages from from Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Sydney Opera House.

Zoë Martin-Doike, Anna Petrova, Christine Carter