By Scott Nishimura

Mercedes Bass, chair of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra board, has committed a $5 million gift in celebration of her her 80th birthday, the symphony said Tuesday.

Mercedes Bass gives $5 million gift to Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Bass will make the gift over five years, the symphony said, calling it a “transformative gift.”

“This exceptional gift will further support the orchestra’s ongoing efforts to expand its philanthropic base and continue its mission of artistic excellence,” the symphony said.

As part of the gift, Bass also initiated the Campaign for Artistic Excellence Matching Gift Program.

The program is “aimed at inspiring the philanthropic community to rally behind the FWSO,” the symphony said. “This initiative will encourage even greater support for the orchestra’s service to the community.”

The symphony also simultaneously announced Tuesday it will rename its popular Concerts in the Garden series as “The Mercedes T. Bass FWSO Concerts in the Garden Series” for 15 consecutive years. The concert series is in hiatus.

“This renaming will take effect upon the full-time return of the festival, with the exact date to be determined,” the symphony said. “Until then, the FWSO is delighted to recognize this donation by temporarily naming the new summer series as the ‘Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Mercedes T. Bass Sounds of the Summer Series.’”