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 692 Collections and/or Records:

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, 27 January 1897

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L478

Scope and Contents

Letter, 27 January 1897, Oxford, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Details, including programme and time, of a concert that Tovey is involved in. Holograph signed.

Dates: 27 January 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, 31 October 1890

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2357

Scope and Contents

Letter, 31 October 1890, London, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Arranging a suitable day for Donald to visit Parry. Holograph signed.

Dates: 31 October 1890

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, 01 December 1893

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2684

Scope and Contents

Letter, [1 December 1893], Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss. Weisse for various things, discussing Tovey's copies of music scores, and the fact that Tovey is suffering from a cold. Photocopy of Holograph signed.

Dates: 01 December 1893

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, c1890

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L2685

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Indicating the length in minutes of various works by various composers. Photocopy of Holograph signed.

Dates: c1890

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 January 1891

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L340

Scope and Contents

Letter, 27 January 1891, Cambridge, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Request for some music paper. Holograph signed.

Dates: 27 January 1891

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 1887

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L343

Scope and Contents

Letter, 25 December 1887, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Thanking Miss Weisse for Christmas presents, two scores, one being The Pastoral symphony. Holograph signed.

Dates: 25 December 1887

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, c1888

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L344

Scope and Contents

Letter, [n.d], Surrey, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Discussion of the first movement of Beethoven's Eroica. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1888

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, c1889

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L345

Scope and Contents

Letter, [1889], Windsor, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. News of Donald and his family and a discussion of a string quartet movement. Holograph signed.

Dates: c1889

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, 22 May 1889

Item

Identifier: Coll-411/1/1/L346

Scope and Contents

Letter, 22 May 1889, Donald Tovey to Sophie Weisse. Description of a tennis party at Mrs. Sackville West's house. Holograph signed.

Dates: 22 May 1889

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

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

Dates

Biography

Found in 692 Collections and/or Records:

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