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.