Press Kit
Iris Trio
Iris Trio - full-length biography
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.
Their 2013 debut at the German Consulate in New York City was met by a sold-out audience and followed by an immediate invitation to the prestigious Mozartfest in Würzburg, Germany. The Trio subsequently 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 performed extensively across North America and Europe.
In 2018 the Iris Trio toured their project, Homage and Inspiration, across Germany, pairing works by Schumann and Mozart with modern tributes to these masterpieces by György Kurtág and Christof Weiß. The Bremen Weser Kurier commented on the ensemble’s “tremendously expressive, exciting and pointed performance,” the Amberger Zeitung remarked that “their ensemble playing is simply fabulous, perfectly balanced, admirable in its rhythmic security and virtuosity,” and the Augsburger Allgemeine offered “… it was a musical and lively performance, strong in the technical nuances, and with an exquisite balance of sound.” The final concert of the tour took place at the renowned Sendesaal in Bremen, where the Trio recorded their debut album, Homage and Inspiration. The album was released in 2020 on the German Coviello Classics label to international acclaim. The Canadian Broadcasting Company named it “one of the top 10 upcoming Canadian albums to get excited about,” Spain’s Ritmo Magazine designated it a special release, noting that the Trio had “ admirable sound balance … delicacy and profound knowledge,” and Fanfare Magazine praised the album as “a five-star, real stand-out release.”
The Iris Trio continues to commission and champion the work of inspiring living artists. Project Earth, their most recent interdisciplinary commissioning project, strives to illuminate the impact of human behavior on the environment, addressing issues of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss, while recognizing the power of our collective imagination to create meaningful change. Through this multi-chapter project, the trio has collaborated with celebrated poets Don McKay and Karen Solie (both Griffin Poetry Prize winners), and internationally acclaimed Juno-nominated composers Florian Hoefner, Sarah Slean, and Andrew Downing.
The Iris Trio’s recent engagements include residencies at the University of Louisville, Kentucky and Memorial University in St. John’s, Canada, as well as concert tours in Canada and Europe. All three members of the Trio are active recitalists and educators in their own right. Collectively, they hold positions at Memorial University, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (New York City), and University of Louisville, and have performed around the world on major concert stages from Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Sydney Opera House.
Iris Trio - short biography
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. Their 2013 debut at the German Consulate in New York City was met by a sold-out audience and followed by an immediate invitation to the prestigious Mozartfest in Würzburg, Germany. The Trio subsequently 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 appeared at venues throughout North America and Europe, including a tour of their program, Homage and Inspiration, across Germany. Their debut album by the same name, recorded at the Sendesaal in Bremen Germany, was released in 2020 on Coviello Classics to international acclaim. The Canadian Broadcasting Company selected it as one of “10 upcoming Canadian classical albums to get excited about,” Fanfare Magazine praised it as “a five-star, real stand-out release,” and Classical-Modern Music Review commented, “these are extraordinarily, mutually attuned practitioners that deserve our acclaim.” Collectively, the members of the Iris Trio hold positions at Memorial University, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra (New York City), and University of Louisville, and have performed around the world on major concert stages from Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall to the Amsterdam Concertgebouw and Sydney Opera House.
Press Quotes
“…a beauty of sound and striking expression that is rarely surpassed.”
– Bremen Weser Kurier (Germany)
“…elegance and refinement of the consistently virtuosic performance were equally impressive”
– Bremen Weser Kurier (Germany)
“The Iris Trio perfectly mastered the work’s immense technical challenges.”
– Bremen Weser Kurier (Germany)
“The Iris Trio convinced with a tremendously expressive, exciting and pointed performance – all the way to the gentle final beat of the drum.”
– Bremen Weser Kurier (Germany)
“Their ensemble playing is simply fabulous, perfectly balanced, admirable in its rhythmic security and virtuosity.”
– Amberger Zeitung (Germany)
“Playing Mozart they illuminated the rhetoric, the speech gestures, and in this manner provided the path to Christof Weiß’ Gespräch unter Freunden.”
– Amberger Zeitung (Germany)
“A fantastic, well-attended evening in a perfect format that more than justified the enthusiastic applause.”
– Amberger Zeitung (Germany)
“…one could feel the special passion and inspiration of the musicians, who were able to musically talk to each other in a highly differentiated way.”
– Augsburger Allgemeine (Germany)
“…a musical and lively performance, strong in the technical nuances, and with an exquisite balance of sound.”
– Augsburger Allgemeine (Germany)
“The Iris Trio engaged with the piece with sensitivity and great tonal beauty, and brilliantly mastered its high technical demands. Definitely music and musicians that invite you to listen again and again!”
– Evelyn Meining, Artistic Director, Mozartfest Würzburg (Germany)
“These mysterious works are uncannily beautiful, and this rendition is absolutely breathtaking.”
– The WholeNote (Canada)
“…powerhouse trio…”
– McGill University (Canada)
“The spirit of chamber music is writ large…”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…a stunning recording, having just the right amount of warmth and yet allowing for utter clarity.”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“The players seem completely at one with Schumann’s expressive world.”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…true conversations…”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…remarkable…”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…real joy and wit…”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…the present disc’s unique programming, coupled with its superb performances and equally excellent recording makes it a real stand-out release…”
– Colin Clarke, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“… intimately caressing ensemble.”
– Huntley Dent, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“The playing is thoroughly enjoyable, skillful, and expressive.”
– Huntley Dent, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“…one could hardly wish for better.”
– Huntley Dent, Fanfare Magazine (United States)
“The Iris Trio plays with great beauty, clarity, prowess, authenticity, and teamwork…”
– American Record Guide (United States)
“The commitment of the playing leaves no doubt that the participants are indeed ‘Freundinnen’ [girlfriends].”
– La Scena Musicale (Canada)
“…nuanced…fluid and polished…”
– La Scena Musicale (Canada)
“…warm tone and keen melodic sense…”
– La Scena Musicale (Canada)
“…compelling…”
– La Scena Musicale (Canada)
“…performed with an articulate zeal that is as joyful in its expression as it is exacting in its execution. These are extraordinarily, mutually attuned practitioners that deserve our acclaim. They take on the classic and the present-day with equal poise and authentic fluency.”
– Classical-Modern Music Review (United States)
“A delightful offering in every way.”
– Classical-Modern Music Review (United States)
“…sensational abilities that reveal all the poetic charm of the works…”
– Melómano Magazine (Spain)
“The members of the Iris Trio display their sensational capacities to reveal all the poetic charm of the works of Mozart and Schumann…and penetrate incisively into the edges and roughness of the personal proposals by Kurtág and Weiss.”
– Melómano Magazine (Spain)
“The emphasis on instrumental coloring is combined with polish by the three…performers”
– Melómano Magazine (Spain)
“…delicacy and profound knowledge…”
– Ritmo Magazine (Spain)
“…an admirable sound balance…”
– Ritmo Magazine (Spain)
“…joy and risk without restraint…”
– Ritmo Magazine (Spain)
“…an enthralling performance. The interpretation and level of execution are exceptional.”
– The Clarinet (International)
“Iris Trio’s ability to blend superior technique with sensitive musicality comes to the forefront, as flawless intonation, resonant tone, and perfect balance brings these works to life. Iris trio presents a compilation that beckons listeners to stay for a while and ask for more.”
– The Clarinet (International)
“Talented soloists in their own right, the interplay and musical collaboration of Iris Trio shine brightly.”
– The Clarinet (International)
“Simply, this disk by Iris Trio is immaculate in its musical and technical presentation, bringing forth depths of sound palettes for the listener’s delight.”
– The Clarinet (International)
High-res press photos photohraphy by Joe Chase
