Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)
Person
Dates
- Existence: 1852-1945
Sophie Weisse was born in Edinburgh in 1852 to a German father and Lithuanian mother. Little is known of her early life and education. In 1892, she founded the all-girls school of Northlands in Surrey, which she ran for twenty-five years. Although Northlands was a school of general education, music was given a particularly prominent place in the curriculum, and musical celebrities were often invited to visit and perform. Weisse employed the young Donald Tovey as a pianist at the school’s concerts, which provided a launch for his career as a musician and composer. Weisse had discovered Tovey’s talent at the age of four and had managed all aspects of his education. She further supported his career by funding the publication of his works between 1903 and 1913. Weisse and Tovey maintained a lifelong relationship. When Tovey was appointed to Edinburgh University’s Reid Chair of Music in 1914, Weisse followed him to Edinburgh. As Reid Professor, Tovey bestowed on Weisse an honorary degree of Doctor of Music in 1936. Weisse died in Guildford in 1945.
Weisse was a major benefactor of the University of Edinburgh. On Tovey’s death in 1941, she gifted 18 Buccleuch Place to the University as 'The Tovey Memorial Rooms', with the intention that it be used for student study. She also gifted the University portraits of Tovey and herself by Philip de Laszlo and endowed the Tovey Memorial Prize as an annual award for the most promising undergraduate composer or performer in the Faculty of Music. Her collection of around 600 books and scores relating to Beethoven was purchased by the University in 1948.
Found in 56 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Hubert James Foss from Margaret Maitland, 27 November 1941
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2296
Scope and Contents
Letter, 27 November 1941, Oxford, Margaret Maitland to Hubert Foss. Informing Foss of Maitland's relationship to Tovey and reminiscences of Tovey and Maitland's youth. Holograph signed.
Dates:
27 November 1941
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Ernest Walker, c 02 April 1905
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2559
Scope and Contents
Letter, 2 April [1905], Oxford, Ernest Walker to Sophie Weisse. Accepting an invitation to hear Tovey play. Holograph signed.
Dates:
c 02 April 1905
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Ernest Walker, c 02 February 1900
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2561
Scope and Contents
Letter, 2 March [n.y], Oxford, Ernest Walker to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for sending Walker tickets to go to a concert and explaining that he was unable to go. Holograph signed.
Dates:
c 02 February 1900
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Harold H. Joachim, 25 November 1908
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2254
Scope and Contents
Letter, 25 November 1908, Oxford, Harold H. Joachim to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse and Tovey their kindness, and allowing Harold Joachim to hear wonderful music. Holograph signed.
Dates:
25 November 1908
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 23 October 1890
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2356
Scope and Contents
Letter, 23 October 1890, Oxford, Hubert C. Parry to Sophie Weisse. Arranging to see Tovey. Holograph signed.
Dates:
23 October 1890
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, 08 May 1901
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2386
Scope and Contents
Letter, 8 May 1901, Oxford, Hubert C. Parry to Sophie Weisse. Expressing pleasure at hearing news of Tovey. Holograph signed.
Dates:
08 May 1901
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2676
Scope and Contents
Letter, 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for the present of some scores and notes on the scores. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Dates:
c1895
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1895
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2678
Scope and Contents
Letter, 1895, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for sending presents, details of a concert given by Paderewski, criticising a piano, Tovey's studying plans, and other news. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Dates:
c1895
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 October 1894
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2681
Scope and Contents
Letter, 14 October 1894, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that all Tovey's furniture has arrived, requesting that Miss Weisse send Tovey's tennis racket so he can play. Photocopy of Holograph signed.
Dates:
14 October 1894
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1897
Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2736
Scope and Contents
Letter, 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Explaining a misunderstanding between Miss. Weisse and Tovey's father, and suggesting that they both can play a part in developing Tovey's reading skills. Typescript copy.
Dates:
c1897