Skip to main content

Weisse, Sophie, 1852-1945 (Scottish music teacher)

 Person

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 692 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 09 January 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2605
Scope and Contents

Letter, 9 January 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Sending ' a little company', and thanking Grierson for attending an event. Holograph signed.

Dates: 09 January 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 19 January 1939

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2606
Scope and Contents

Letter, 19 January 1939, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Planning to turn away a singer, so Miss. Weisse can spend an hour alone with Tovey, a discussion of the Schumann concerto affair. Holograph signed.

Dates: 19 January 1939

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 24 January 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2607
Scope and Contents

Letter, 24 January 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Requesting that tickets for concerts be sent to Miss. Weisse. Holograph signed.

Dates: 24 January 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 03 February 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2608
Scope and Contents

Letter, 3 February 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Thanking Grierson for her kindness to Miss. Weisse. Holograph signed.

Dates: 03 February 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 18 March 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2609
Scope and Contents

Letter, 18 March 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Praising Grierson's musicianship, and expressing Weisses admiration and affection for Grierson. Holograph signed.

Dates: 18 March 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 18 October 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2610
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 18 October 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 01 December 1938

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2611
Scope and Contents

Letter, 1 December 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Arranging to meet, discussion of Tovey's heart condition. Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 December 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 28 August 1939

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2612
Scope and Contents

Letter, 28 August 1939, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Expressing anxiety over the threat of a European war and over Tovey's health. Holograph signed.

Dates: 28 August 1939

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, c1935

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2613
Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Thanking Grierson for sending Miss. Weisse flowers on her birthday, and news of Miss. Weisse's birthday celebrations. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, c1930

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2614
Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Description of time spent with John Tovey in Stuttgart. Holograph.

Dates: c1930

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 691
Collection 1
 
Subject
Social Interaction 366
London (England) 96
Oxford Oxfordshire England 95
Performances 82
Composition (Music) 71
∨ more
Instruction and Study 67
Surrey (England) 60
Concert Programs 55
Voyages and Travel 52
Ill Health 50
Englefield Green (England) 48
Guildford (England) 40
Edinburgh -- Scotland 38
Performance practice (Music) 32
Musical Criticism 22
Professional Interaction 22
Music Theory 21
Family 20
Music 20
Hartree 18
Instrumentation and Orchestration 18
Eton (England) 12
Opera | The Bride of Dionysus 12
Condolence Notes 11
Woking (England) 11
Music Publishing 10
Scholarships 10
Worplesdon (England) 10
Cambridge (England) 9
Professional Recognition 9
Bad Nauheim (Germany) 8
Biggar (Scotland) 8
Biography 8
Haslemere 8
Academic Writing 7
Berlin (Germany) 7
Examinations 7
Travel 7
Dorking (England) 6
England -- Northamptonshire -- Weston 6
Lippe (Germany) 6
Wokingham (England) 6
Littlehampton (England) 5
Lowestoft (England) 5
Manuscript Preparation (Authorship) 5
Memorials 5
Societies and Clubs 5
Universities and Colleges, Administration 5
Windsor (Berkshire, England) 5
Advertising 4
Arran Buteshire Scotland 4
Book Reviews 4
Bungay (England) 4
England -- Surrey -- Holmbury St Mary 4
Germany -- Mainz 4
Meiningen (Germany) 4
Music History and criticism 4
Piano 4
Shenley (England) 4
Translations 4
Administration 3
Agent, Musical 3
Careers Advice 3
Chamber Orchestra 3
Executors and Administrators 3
Fairfield 3
Fees, Professional 3
Opera 3
Paris (France) 3
Poetry 3
Salzburg (Austria) 3
Wixenford 3
Amsterdam (Netherlands) 2
Bonn (Germany) 2
Canstatt 2
Chislehurst (England) 2
Finance, Personal 2
Job Offers 2
Libraries 2
Libraries--Gifts, legacies 2
Liverpool Merseyside England 2
Manchester (England) 2
Marlow (Buckinghamshire, England) 2
Moffat (Scotland) 2
Music patronage 2
Music | 20th century 2
Musicians 2
New York City (New York, United States) 2
Oban Kilmore and Kilbride (parish) Argyllshire Scotland 2
Proofreading 2
Publications 2
Spain 2
Stuttgart (Germany) 2
Trumpington (England) 2
World War, 1939-1945 2
Aachen (Germany) 1
Accounts 1
Andover (Massachusetts) 1
Appointment to Office 1
Bern Switzerland 1
+ ∧ less