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, 24 January 1938

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2607

Scope and Contents

Letter, 24 January 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Requesting that tickets for concerts be sent to Miss. Weisse. Holograph signed.

Dates: 24 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, 03 February 1938

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2608

Scope and Contents

Letter, 3 February 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Thanking Grierson for her kindness to Miss. Weisse. Holograph signed.

Dates: 03 February 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, 18 March 1938

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2609

Scope and Contents

Letter, 18 March 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Praising Grierson's musicianship, and expressing Weisses admiration and affection for Grierson. Holograph signed.

Dates: 18 March 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, 18 October 1938

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2610

Scope and Contents

Letter, 18 October 1938, Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. News of Weisse's state of health, description of a lecture given by Tovey, news of Weisses travels in Germany. Holograph signed.

Dates: 18 October 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, 01 December 1938

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2611

Scope and Contents

Letter, 1 December 1938, Edinburgh, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Arranging to meet, discussion of Tovey's heart condition. Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 December 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, c1935

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2613

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Surrey, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Thanking Grierson for sending Miss. Weisse flowers on her birthday, and news of Miss. Weisse's birthday celebrations. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1935

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, c1930

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2614

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Description of time spent with John Tovey in Stuttgart. Holograph.

Dates: c1930

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, 06 July 1924

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2617

Scope and Contents

Letter, 6 July 1924, Bad Nauheim, Sophie Weisse to Mary Grierson. Enclosing fragments of a Tauchnitz and requesting Lord Murray's address and news of Miss. Weisse's visit to Germany. Holograph signed.

Dates: 06 July 1924

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

Letter to Elizabeth Trevelyan from Percy Such, 11 July 1909

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2504

Scope and Contents

Letter, 11 July 1909, London, Percy Such to Elizabeth Trevelyan. Apologising for a misunderstanding caused by a letter from Miss. Weisse to Elizabeth Trevelyan and attempting to reconcile offence caused by meeting with Trevelyan. Holograph signed.

Dates: 11 July 1909

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

Letter to Hubert James Foss from Margaret Maitland, 27 November 1941

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2296

Scope and Contents

Letter, 27 November 1941, Oxford, Margaret Maitland to Hubert Foss. Informing Foss of Maitland's relationship to Tovey and reminiscences of Tovey and Maitland's youth. Holograph signed.

Dates: 27 November 1941

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, 24 January 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 03 February 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 18 March 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 18 October 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 01 December 1938

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, c1935

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, c1930

Letter to Dr Mary Gardner Grierson from Sophie Weisse, 06 July 1924

Letter to Elizabeth Trevelyan from Percy Such, 11 July 1909

Letter to Hubert James Foss from Margaret Maitland, 27 November 1941

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