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 68 Collections and/or Records:
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 October 1897
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.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 08 November 1897
Letter, 8 November 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Balliol, and his boredom with studying the classics. Holograph signed, with duplicate typescript copy, [2]p. 26 x 21cm.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 19 February 1898
Letter, 19 February 1898, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on Tovey's academic progress, and details of a forthcoming concert. Holograph incomplete.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 19 February 1898
Letter, 1898 Feb 19, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Notes on Tovey's academic progress, and details of a forthcoming concert. Typescript copy.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 27 March 1898
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..
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 05 May 1898
Letter, 5 May 1898, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Expressing a concern for Miss. Weisse, informing Miss. Weisse of Tovey's ill health, and a report on Tovey's studies. Holograph signed.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 05 May 1898
Letter, 5 May 1898, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Expressing a concern for Miss. Weisse, informing Miss. Weisse of Tovey's ill health, and a report on Tovey's studies. Typescript copy.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898
Letter, 14 May 1898, Littlehampton, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and details of a bad copy of a quintet by Tovey. Typescript copy of L495.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 14 May 1898
Letter, 14 May 1898, Littlehampton, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Tovey's progress at Oxford and details of a bad copy of a quintet by Tovey. Holograph incomplete.
Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 19 May 1898
Letter, 19 May 1898, Littlehampton, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of Tovey's revision for exams. Typescript copy, incomplete, of L497.
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