The Nashville Symphony Orchestra has received a $100,000 gift from an unlikely donor, the country music singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Swift, who has lived in Nashville since she was 14, made the donation on December 13, her 24th birthday. She has sold over 26 million albums and 75 million song downloads worldwide, and she also has the rare distinction of having two albums (for which she writes all for own songs) each sell one million copies in a single week. Her total wealth is said to be in excess of $220 million, and she is a dedicated philanthropist, as this recent gift proves.

The Nashville SO has, like many US orchestras, been going through a difficult period which has seen a debt restructuring agreement, a reduction in staffing and a new contract for the players which includes a 15 per cent pay cut.