A donor has gifted an £800,000 legacy to the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
The money is among the largest individual donations the CBSO has received in its 97-year history.
It as left by a concert-goer and supporter of the orchestra from Lichfield and will be used to support musicians over the next eight years.
CBSO individual giving manager Eve Vines said: “Our recent £800,000 gift was given by a gentleman who was very special to us, and who first started supporting the orchestra in memory of his wife.
“In addition to coming to concerts to hear the full orchestra perform, he really valued the work which CBSO musicians did with young people around the region. I’m quite sure that it was this, together with his friendship with a number of the musicians, that inspired him to leave a legacy.”
Chief executive Stephen Maddock OBE said the money would help secure the future of the CBSO.
“This important legacy represents a significant contribution to the £15-£20million we need to raise from the private sector over the next eight years.
“Support from generous private funders enables us to maintain and build upon the CBSO’s world-class artistic standards and the breadth of its work in the local community. Without such support every aspect of our work would be diminished beyond recognition.
“Gifts from generous individuals, companies and trusts are all part of the mix, and so too are legacies of all sizes.
“I am always touched and humbled when I learn that someone has chosen to remember us in this way: in doing so they ensure we can continue to offer musical inspiration for generations to come.”