Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)
Dates
- Existence: 1852 - 1945
Biography
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 16 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 30 June 1935
Letter, 30 June 1935, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Informing Grierson that Miss. Weisse is going to Bad Nauheim and enclosing information on Miss. Weisses mother. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.
Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 18 October 1938
Letter, 18 October 1938, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. News of Weisse's state of health, description of a lecture given by Tovey, news of Weisses travels in Germany. Holograph signed.
Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, c1930
Letter, [n.d], Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Description of time spent with John Tovey in Stuttgart. Holograph.
Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 06 July 1924
Letter, 6 July 1924, Bad Nauheim, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Enclosing fragments of a Tauchnitz and requesting Lord Murray's address and news of Miss. Weisse's visit to Germany. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Pablo Casals, 14 September 1911
Letter, 14 September 1911, Pablo Casals to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for her concern over the cholera epidemic in Barcelona and Catalonia. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 01 August 1893
Letter, 1 August 1893, Suffolk, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Details of Tovey's visit to Lowestoft. Typescript copy.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 15 June 1898
Letter, 15 June 1898, Oxford Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of a trip to Liverpool to visit V. M. Coutts Trotter. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c14 January 1902
Letter, [14 January 1902], Berlin, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of the musical atmosphere of Vienna and Birthday wishes to Miss. Weisse. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 12 January 1904
Letter, 12 January 1904, London, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's time in Germany, his awe of Joachim and his forthcoming schedule. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 05 April 1913
Letter, 5 April 1913, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Tovey's arrival in Bonn, and news of the Busch family. Holograph unfinished.
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