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 52 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, 08 July 1935
Letter, 8 July 1935, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Details of Miss. Weisse's journey to Bad Nauheim and enclosing a letter from Tovey's doctor. Holograph signed.
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 Sir Denys de Saumarez Bray from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 1895
Letter, [1895], Sir Donald Francis Tovey to Sir Denys Bray. Description of a visit to Winchester and information on a forthcoming trip to Arran. Ms. transcript by Hubert Foss, incomplete.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 18 August 1912
Letter, 18 August 1912, Bad Nauheim, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. Description of Miss. Weisse's journey to Bad Nauheim. Holograph signed, in pencil.
Letter to Sir Donald Francis Tovey from Sophie Weisse, 11 September 1922
Letter, 11 September 1922, Bad Nauheim, Sophie Weisse to Donald Tovey. News of Miss. Weisse's time in Bad Nauheim, discussion of the German mark in comparison to the English pound, and plans for leaving Germany. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Cecilia Warre Cornish, 02 April 1901
Letter, 2 April 1901, Windsor, Cecilia Warre Cornish to Sophie Weisse. Expressing delight at Tovey's success in Berlin. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Clara Gould, 16 June 1926
Letter, 16 June 1926, California, Clara Gould to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for sending a photograph of John Tovey, informing Miss. Weisse of her travels and her continuing financial support of Tovey. Holograph signed.
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