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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 56 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 October 1897

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L475
Scope and Contents

Letter, 20 October 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Birthday greetings, and description of Tovey's studies. Holograph signed, with duplicate typescript copy, incomplete, [1]p. 26 x 20cm.

Dates: 20 October 1897
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 23 October 1897

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L476
Scope and Contents

Letter, 23 October 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for a letter, Tovey's completion of a book and news of his contemporaries at Balliol. Holograph signed.

Dates: 23 October 1897
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 17 November 1897

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L480
Scope and Contents

Letter, 17 November 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Arranging a suitable time for Miss. Weisse to visit Balliol, details of the Oxford musical club. Holograph signed, with duplicate typescript copy, [3]p. 26 x 20cm .

Dates: 17 November 1897
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 19 November 1897

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L481
Scope and Contents

Letter, 19 November 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notice of Tovey's time of arrival. Typescript copy.

Dates: 19 November 1897
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 27 March 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L488
Scope and Contents

Letter, 27 March 1898, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on academic progress and thanking Miss. Weisse for an invitation. Holograph signed, with typescript copy, [2]p. 25 x 20cm..

Dates: 27 March 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 21 May 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L498
Scope and Contents

Letter, 21 May 1898, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Comments on a letter from J. L. Strachan Davidson, and thanking Miss. Weisse for a cheque. Holograph signed, with letter from J. L. Strachan Davidson to Donald Tovey.

Dates: 21 May 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 21 May 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L499
Scope and Contents

Letter, 21 May 1898, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Comments on a letter from J. L. Strachan Davidson, and thanking Miss. Weisse for a cheque. Typescript copy.

Dates: 21 May 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 June 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L500
Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 June 1898, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and news of his contemporaries. Typescript copy of L501.

Dates: 14 June 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 June 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L501
Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 June 1898, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and news of his contemporaries. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 June 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 15 June 1898

 Item
Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L502
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: 15 June 1898
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Tovey Collection / Papers of Donald Francis Tovey / Correspondence

Filtered By

  • Subject: Oxford Oxfordshire England X
  • Subject: Social Interaction X

Additional filters:

Subject
Surrey (England) 13
Instruction and Study 10
Performances 6
Concert Programs 5
Instrumentation and Orchestration 3
∨ more
Family 2
Musical Criticism 2
Scholarships 2
Societies and Clubs 2
Academic Writing 1
Composition (Music) 1
Family History 1
Music 1
Music Theory 1
Performance practice (Music) 1
Voyages and Travel 1
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