Trio Eris-K.J. McDonald, Thomas Lim & Andrew Jun Chen

Trio Eris, New England Conservatory’s Professional Trio-in-Residence, is united by a genuine love of collaboration and a deeply personal approach to music-making. The trio is a top prizewinner of competitions including the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and Chamber Music Yellow Springs, and are also finalists in the YCA and Naumburg competitions. Trio Eris comprises violinist K.J. McDonald, cellist Thomas Lim, and pianist Andrew Jun Chen. Cellist Thomas Lim joined Trio Eris in 2026, adding a fresh energy and collaborative spirit that has quickly become central to the trio’s evolving sound.

Trio Eris has worked with distinguished artists including Vivian Weilerstein, Laurence Lesser, Don Weilerstein, Yeesun Kim, Ara Gregorian, Paul Katz, Laurie Smukler, Areta Zhulla, and the Horszowski Trio, and has performed in masterclasses for Robert McDonald, Claudio Martínez Mehner, Ida Kavafian, Michael Kannen, Itzhak Perlman, and Lucy Chapman. The trio has attended major chamber music programs including the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival, Avaloch Farm Music Institute, IMS Prussia Cove, and the Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop.

Recent and upcoming season engagements include performances at Schneider Concerts, Music for Food, Rockport Music, Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts, Olympic Music Festival, The Shouse Institute at the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society, and Jordan Hall.
The trio has also shared their passion for collaborative music-making through educational initiatives in Panama, Virginia, Washington, and across Massachusetts.

Named—ironically—after the Greek goddess of discord and strife, Trio Eris finds itself perpetually swept up in a dynamic whirlwind of activity and relative chaos. Outside the rehearsal studio, the ensemble can often be found pursuing diverse hobbies including hiking, reading, cooking, and lifting weights.