The Ruins of Detroit

Ballroom, Lee Plaza Hotel.  Part of The Ruins of Detroit by Yves Marchand and Romain Meffre, 2006. With kind permission from the artists and assistance from Tristan Hoare Gallery.

The Ruins of Detroit is a series of photographs by Yves Marchand & Romain Meffre depicting the ruined grandeur of the architecture of Detroit, USA, reflecting the rise and fall of the industrial revolution in America which both created the city of Detroit and destroyed it. These photographs inspired the composer Gavin Higgins (born 1983) to write a piano trio, each movement having a title derived from one of the images 'I. Ballroom, Lee Plaza Hotel', 'II. Car, Michigan Theatre', 'III. Piano, St Albertus School'. The trio was short-listed in the 2015 British Composer Awards.

On 1 June 2017, Gavin Higgins The Ruins of Detroit forms part of the Minerva Piano Trio's lunchtime concert at St John's Smith Square, alongside works by Shostakovich (1906-1975), and Beethoven (1770-1827).

The Minerva Piano Trio (Annie Yim, Michal Cwizewicz, Richard Birchall) is currently one of the Young Artists at St John's Smith Square, and the concert is part of the trio's year-long residency.

Full details from the St John's Smith Square website.