THE RESOUNDING CAMPAIGN
“When someone endows a
position in your name, it instills
confidence and demonstrates
that your work is valued.”
PAUL SPONSELLER
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Paul and Amy Sponseller
From their first date at a jazz concert, music has always
played an integral part in Paul and Amy Sponseller’s lives.
P
aul Sponseller, Chief of Pediatric
Orthopedics at Johns Hopkins
Hospital, was introduced to
music early. Growing up in Ann
Arbor, MI, classical music was prevalent
and highly valued. He fondly recalls his
parents taking the family to concerts; of
special note was a performance by pianist
Vladimir Horowitz. Additionally,
he studied violin, voice and piano
for many years.
Amy, a retired Johns Hopkins
communications specialist, who studied
flute, credits her musical appreciation to
her family who prioritized the arts. Being
raised in New York City, there was an
overabundance of musical opportunities.
“My parents felt that my sibling and
I should attend cultural experiences,
such as a Broadway show or a New York
30
OV E R T U R E / BSOmusic.org
Philharmonic concert, as often as possible,”
says Amy. “They also took us to camps and
performances at and around Tanglewood
in the summer.” This appreciation was
reinforced in other ways too. “My favorite
chore growing up was setting the dinner
table because if that was your job for the
week, you got to choose the composer
that everyone listened to—I always
picked Tchaikovsky,” explains Amy.
Although they have attended concerts
in every city they have lived in, it was a
classical performance conducted by former
BSO Music Director David Zinman that
began their musical journey with the BSO,
and they have been attending ever since.
The Sponsellers enjoy sharing their
musical passion with others and often
bring friends, colleagues and students to
concerts. “I’ve been taking my medical
students and residents to the BSO's
Classical and Off The Cuff performances
for years now," says Paul. "It's always
exciting to see the concert through their
eyes. For many, this is their first time
hearing a live symphonic performance.”
While subscribers for many years, it
was Joseph Meyerhoff II’s call to action
in the endowment fundraising drive and
news of the financial challenges facing the
Orchestra that encouraged them to step
forward. Paul said to Amy, “We know
that the financial challenges are serious
and that we can’t solve them on our own,
but maybe we can stretch a little to help.”
The Sponsellers immediately thought
about endowing a position in the
Orchestra. As the holder of an endowed
chair at Johns Hopkins Hospital, Paul
knew first-hand the impact of these
commitments. “Ten years ago, friends
and colleagues endowed a chair in my
name,” says Paul. “At the time, I couldn’t
have imagined the effect it would have
on me professionally and psychologically.
When someone endows a position in
your name, it instills confidence and
demonstrates that your work is valued.
We wanted the opportunity to give that
to someone and to show that we value the
musicians’ commitment to the BSO and
our community.”
“Our hope is that the BSO remains
healthy and vibrant for many years to
come, and building a strong endowment is
the first step,” says Paul. “The time to give
is now. We already have one of the finest
orchestras in the country. It’s time we let
them flourish and give them a future that
they can depend on.”