Clothing entrepreneur, arts philanthropist and Order of Australia recipient Peter Weiss has died.

It’s believed he died on Sunday, aged 84.

Born in Austria’s capital Vienna, Weiss came to Australia at the age of three. He took a keen interest in music from an early age, learning the cello and regularly attending performances of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

However, he gave up his musical studies at the age of 22 when he started work in the clothing business, later forming his own company.

Weiss also gained a reputation for sponsoring music and the arts, served on several boards and committees including the Australian Chamber Orchestra board, and was well-known for his support of charity events including Fashion for AIDS.

The National Portrait Gallery notes he made very significant donations to the Sydney Opera House, was among the first members of the Art Gallery of New South Wales Foundation, and was made a life governor of the gallery in 2009.

In 1996 he was awarded an Australia Medal for service to the arts and in 2013 was awarded an Order of Australia for distinguished services to the arts, particularly orchestral music.

AWPR director Adam Worling, who worked for  Weiss’s company for about seven years and knew him for more than 30 years, said being in his orbit was a “remarkable experience”.

“I always walked away from meetings with Peter and I just felt like I could do just about anything,” Worling told AAP on Monday.

“It’s going to take a while to sink in.”

Weiss was “one of those amazing giants of the early days of the Australian fashion industry,” Worling said.

“But it was the Australian fashion industry that gave him the positioning and the wealth that allowed him in the second stage of his life to be so actively involved in the arts.”

In February, the University of Sydney announced Weiss had committed $4 million to support research into preventing and treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a condition he was diagnosed with in 2012, followed by a lung cancer diagnosis in 2018.

“Peter Weiss’s life has been characterised by his generous philanthropic support for the arts and music, bringing delight to countless people,” the university’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal Dr Michael Spence said at the time.

“While this donation to the university has a medical focus, at its heart it also promises to improve and enhance the quality of life of thousands of people.”

Worling said Weiss would be remembered for his generosity.

“His legacy will be … his generosity of time, his generosity of spirit and his generosity of philanthropic donations,” Worling said.

“There’s so many people that have been touched by Peter.”