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, 22 August 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L613

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 22 August 1908, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of Loch Swen and music to accompany Greek mythology. Typescript copy.

Dates: 22 August 1908

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, 27 September 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L614

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 27 September 1908, Skye, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Comment on the weather in Skye, and music to accompany Theseus coming out of the sea. Typescript copy.

Dates: 27 September 1908

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 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L615

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 31 August 1908, Morvern, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Music to accompany the minatour. Typescript copy.

Dates: 31 August 1908

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, 03 November 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L616

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 3 November 1908, Oban, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse of Tovey's completion of the first act of the opera and of progress with the rest of the work. Typescript copy.

Dates: 03 November 1908

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 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L617

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 8 September 1908, Holmbury St. Mary, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on what Tovey is doing and Tovey's view of French academics. Typescript copy.

Dates: 08 September 1908

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, 24 August 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L618

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 24 August 1908, Tobermory, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Note of weather. Typescript copy.

Dates: 24 August 1908

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, 24 August 1908

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L619

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 24 August 1908, Oban, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. A word play on Oban and two lines of music. Typescript copy.

Dates: 24 August 1908

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 March 1909

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L620

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 6 March 1909, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. A theme of Tovey's new composition. Holograph.

Dates: 06 March 1909

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 1910

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L623

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 29 August 1910, Sussex, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Tovey's plans to score the work he is currently composing. Holograph signed.

Dates: 29 August 1910

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 1910

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L626

Scope and Contents

Postcard, 6 September 1910, Holmbury St. Mary, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Eton, and a note on Wagner. Holograph signed.

Dates: 06 September 1910

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, 22 August 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 27 September 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 31 August 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 03 November 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 08 September 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 24 August 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 24 August 1908

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 06 March 1909

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 29 August 1910

Postcard to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 06 September 1910

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