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

Person

Staff Only

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:

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 11 October 1899

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L542

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 11 October 1899, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of performance of Fidelio. Holograph signed, with black and white photograph of the Joachim Quartet.

Dates: 11 October 1899

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 17 December 1900

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L552

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 17 December 1900, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of Tovey's voyage to Ostende from Dover. Holograph signed, with colour picture of the boat ' Prince Albert '.

Dates: 17 December 1900

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 22 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L581

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 22 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on Beethoven trio programme. Holograph signed.

Dates: 22 August 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 23 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L582

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 23 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes for a concert programme. Holograph signed.

Dates: 23 August 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 10 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L583

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 30 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on Cleg's letter, and a concert programme. Holograph signed.

Dates: 10 August 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 29 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L584

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 29 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Tovey's piano practice and his building up a repertoire. Holograph signed.

Dates: 29 August 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 31 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L586

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 31 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Postcard reads - " Hum! ( I'll write again soon) ". Holograph signed.

Dates: 31 August 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 04 September 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L587

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 4 September 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Describing the development of a quintet in F major. Holograph signed.

Dates: 04 September 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 06 September 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L588

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 6 September 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on Tovey's studies of Chopin, Brahms and Beethoven and his busy schedule. Holograph signed.

Dates: 06 September 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 08 September 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L589

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 8 September 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Theme to Richard Strauss' new opera. Holograph signed.

Dates: 08 September 1905

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

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

Dates

Biography

Found in 692 Collections and/or Records:

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 11 October 1899

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 17 December 1900

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 22 August 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 23 August 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 10 August 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 29 August 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 31 August 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 04 September 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 06 September 1905

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 08 September 1905

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