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 366 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 12 February 1933

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2587

Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 February 1933, Rugby, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Describing the health of Tovey's son and suggesting that Miss. Weisse should take charge of him. Holograph signed.

Dates: 12 February 1933

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 08 September 1934

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2588

Scope and Contents

Letter, 8 September 1934, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. News of bereavements, praising Grierson and analysing Tovey, concern over Eugenie Schumann. Holograph signed.

Dates: 08 September 1934

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 29 March 1935

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2590

Scope and Contents

Letter, 29 March 1935, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Suggesting Grierson take all the music and shelves that Weisse has donated to the University. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope, date and place as postmark.

Dates: 29 March 1935

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 30 June 1935

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2593

Scope and Contents

Letter, 30 June 1935, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Informing Grierson that Miss. Weisse is going to Bad Nauheim and enclosing information on Miss. Weisses mother. Holograph signed, with stamped envelope.

Dates: 30 June 1935

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 01 October 1935

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2597

Scope and Contents

Letter, 1 October 1935, London, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Informing Grierson that Miss. Weisses brother is dying and asking for news of Tovey's whereabouts. Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 October 1935

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 11 October 1935

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2598

Scope and Contents

Letter, 11 October 1935, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. News of Miss. Weisses brothers death, requesting that Grierson get a ticket for the Reid concert series and a description of Tovey's parents last years. Holograph signed.

Dates: 11 October 1935

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 14 September 1936

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2600

Scope and Contents

Letter, 14 September 1936, Bad Nauheim, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Expressing the feeling that Tovey is a character in a Greek tragedy, requesting a subscription seat to The Reid concerts. Holograph signed.

Dates: 14 September 1936

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

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 17 October 1937

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2603

Scope and Contents

Letter, 17 October 1937, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Requesting that Grierson place a garland of flowers and ribbons in Eton blue on Tovey's desk in the Music Classroom. Holograph signed.

Dates: 17 October 1937

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

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

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

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

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

Filtered By

Subject: Social Interaction X

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

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

Dates

Biography

Found in 366 Collections and/or Records:

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 12 February 1933

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 08 September 1934

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 29 March 1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 30 June 1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 01 October 1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 11 October 1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 14 September 1936

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 17 October 1937

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

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

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