Youngstown for Piano and Oboe

Program Notes: Youngstown is a city in Ohio near the state’s border with Pennsylvania. Initially a small iron mining town, Youngstown experienced its first period of rapid growth after the community discovered coal in the early 19th century. Fueling America’s burgeoning industrial revolution, immigrants from across Europe came to the city for economic opportunity. Youngstown then joined the heart of American industry with the establishment of steel mills in the early 20th century. After World War II, however, Youngstown began a slow economic decline as its economy failed to diversify. This culminated on September 19, 1977, when several steel plants shut down, destroying over 5,000 jobs overnight, and tens of thousands more in the coming months. This event is still referred to as “Black Monday,” and it marked a seismic shift in the city’s identity. Unlike many other small industrial towns in what is now known as the Rust Belt, Youngstown still stands proud to this day. It represents the struggles of the American working class, but also the hope brought by sticking together as a community. This piece attempts to capture the history and spirit of Youngstown through the multifaceted textures of the oboe and piano.