LEAVE A LEGACY : PAUL AND DONNA AMICO
BY ROSIE CONSTANTINE
“… WE HAVE CONTINUED TO BE AWED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ORCHESTRA , AND EACH MUSIC DIRECTOR HAS MADE THE ORCHESTRA STRONGER THAN WHEN THEY ARRIVED .
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— DONNA AMICO
There are two things that make Paul and Donna Amico ’ s heart race : an ovation-worthy performance by the BSO and driving really fast cars . Paul first bought his Porsche in 1992 and shortly after convinced Donna to join him on the track . Donna jokes that it was his mid-life crisis , but they still love it 30 years later ! Now , they are both instructors for the Porsche club and Donna even serves as the club race chair for their local region .
But the best part about racing ? Showing off their pride for their hometown orchestra . With giant BSO logos across their cars , Donna and Paul have had the BSO on display for up to 12 races a year .
They were first wowed by the BSO when they became subscribers in 1989 , but they ’ ve been lifelong appreciators of classical music . Donna played the piano growing up , while Paul was a selfproclaimed “ lousy cellist ” who found more success in the choir . Similar to Marin Alsop , Paul ’ s early experiences attending Leonard Bernstein ’ s Young People ’ s Concerts at the New York Philharmonic instilled a deep appreciation for the importance of music in the lives of young people .
“ The opportunity was always there for me , which just isn ’ t the case in schools today ,” says Paul . “ Children need opportunity in the arts , from music to drama , to become creative adults .”
“ And it also provides an escape ,” adds Donna . “ Music helps expand our worlds , which is not just a luxury ; it ’ s essential for everyone .”
Through the work of David Zinman , Yuri Temirkanov , and Marin Alsop , Paul and Donna have had the chance to see what a music director can do to enhance the orchestra , each leaving their own legacy and expansion of musical opportunity .
“ When we subscribed , we were immediately impressed with the quality of the music , musicians , and then-music director David Zinman ,” says Donna . “ Since then , we have continued to be awed by the development of the orchestra , and each music director has made the orchestra stronger than when they arrived . Most recently with Marin Alsop , the BSO completely redefined what an orchestra can be to its community through the OrchKids program . We want to not only support this program , but also the organization that provides the necessary foundation for success .”
While Paul and Donna have demonstrated their generosity by giving to the BSO for many years , they also know the importance of taking a close look at our future .
“ The BSO has also challenged the idea of what an orchestra can do on the stage through its innovative programming ,” says Paul . “ An orchestra must evolve and embrace the present , as well as the past , and the BSO is doing just that . When it comes to our part in making a difference for the future , helping to sustain our orchestra and make it accessible is both important and achievable if our community ’ s music lovers band together to make it happen .”
With great generosity and tremendous care for our future , Donna and Paul have committed a significant portion of their estate as a seven-figure gift to the BSO , all while continuing to support the BSO and OrchKids with their annual giving .
For now , Paul and Donna — like all of us ! — enjoy speculating who might take up the position of the next music director , but as for those heart racing standing ovations , Donna says they don ’ t give them lightly .
“ We are very stingy ,” jokes Donna . “ But this year , our Orchestra has been dead on , and I ’ ve been hearing things in the music that I ’ ve never heard before . They have been capturing me from the very first note .”
40 OVERTURE / BSOmusic . org