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 Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 18 October 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L512

Scope and Contents

Letter, 18 October 1898, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Offering to escort Miss. Weisse ' down South '. Holograph signed.

Dates: 18 October 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, 18 October 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L513

Scope and Contents

Letter, 18 October 1898, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Offering to escort Miss. Weisse 'down South'. Typescript copy of L512.

Dates: 18 October 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, 26 October 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L514

Scope and Contents

Letter, 26 October 1898, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of Tovey's stay and his studies. Holograph signed, with annotation in red ink by Sophie Weisse.

Dates: 26 October 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, 28 October 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L515

Scope and Contents

Letter, 28 October 1898, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Wishing ' Sister Mary ' well, and asking about Miss. Weisse's plans to return top Cambridge. Typescript copy.

Dates: 28 October 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, 12 November 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L518

Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 November 1898, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. A thank you note, and progress report. Typescript copy.

Dates: 12 November 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, 12 November 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L519

Scope and Contents

Letter, 12 November 1898, Biggar, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. A thank you note, and progress report. Typescript copy.

Dates: 12 November 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, 20 November 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L521

Scope and Contents

Letter, [20 November 1898], Cambridge, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Informing Miss. Weisse that Tovey will go to the Brahms concert, explaining his circumstances and requesting that Miss. Weisse send Tovey his compositions. Typescript copy of 520.

Dates: 20 November 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, 25 December 1898

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L524

Scope and Contents

Letter, 25 December 1898, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Wishing Miss. Weisse a Happy Christmas. Typescript copy.

Dates: 25 December 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, c1897

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L599

Scope and Contents

Letter, [1897], Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Outlining the qualities of Tovey's friend Kelly, news of being with Joachim in Berlin. Holograph incomplete, in pencil.

Dates: c1897

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 August 1905

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L600

Scope and Contents

Letter, 23 August 1905, Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Tovey expressing concern over Kelly supporting him financially. Holograph signed.

Dates: 23 August 1905

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 Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 18 October 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 18 October 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 26 October 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 28 October 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 12 November 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 12 November 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 20 November 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, 25 December 1898

Letter to Sophie Weisse from Sir Donald Francis Tovey, c1897

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

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