The William Ralston Listening Library at Sewanee

The William Ralston Listening Library at Sewanee Sewanee's recorded music library and audiophile-quality listening spaces are unique in the academic world. At the time of his death in May of 2003, the Rev.

Please note that this page is maintained by volunteers and work-studies. Contact the Director at [email protected] for inquiries. William Ralston had assembled one of the nation's most comprehensive private collections of classical music. In his will, Father Ralston expressed his desire that a fitting space be created at Sewanee, The University of the South, to house this collection and

provide both serious students of music and casual listeners a place to fully appreciate recorded music. Sewanee is pleased to honor Father Ralston's wishes through the creation of The William Ralston Music Listening Library and Archive. This state-of-the-art facility in duPont Library offers an unparalleled teaching and learning resource. The heart of the Ralston Listening Library is an elegant cherry-paneled loudspeaker listening room equipped with the world's finest audio and video components. This listening room holds over 10,000 records as well as rare scores and books about music. An adjacent room with high-density storage provides access to nearly 10,000 compact discs, with additional space to expand the collection. The University's circulating collection of 5,000 audio recordings is located next door to the loudspeaker listening room in the gallery, a formal entrance that includes headphone listening stations and display areas for art and music-related materials. A separate headphone listening room with turntables, CD players, and digital music storage allows students to listen to uncompressed music on high-quality equipment. A 3,000 square foot reading room containing duPont Library's music books and scores completes The Ralston Listening Library. With a music collection of over 25,000 pristine recordings, thousands of other rare recordings located in University Archives and Special Collections, a headphone listening room with world-class equipment, and a nationally acclaimed acoustically designed loudspeaker listening room that can reproduce the full impact of concert music without strain or distortion, The William Ralston Music Listening Library and Archive has been described by experts as "unique in the United States and perhaps the world," certainly the finest facility of its kind at any college or university in America.

03/17/2026

First day of classes after spring break … and Sewanee welcomes everyone back with a fresh blanket of snow. Somewhere under there are daffodils in bloom. We’re pretty sure.

12/04/2025

As part of Lessons & Carols weekend, the Carlson Listening Room will be open Saturday from 1–3 PM for some holiday open listening. The afternoon will also mark the near anniversary of the Ralston Library's opening fifteen years ago!

09/12/2025

We are looking forward to welcoming Sewanee families for our annual Family Weekend Open House sessions in the Carlson Listening Room today from 1–5 PM and tomorrow from 10 AM–2 PM. Please drop in for a listen if you're on the Mountain!

We are grateful to have been mentioned alongside the Review, Music Festival, and Writers' Conference in this recent piec...
08/18/2025

We are grateful to have been mentioned alongside the Review, Music Festival, and Writers' Conference in this recent piece on Sewanee in Travel and Leisure.

These are the best small towns in the U.S. of 2025, according to a panel of Travel + Leisure experts.

Over the past several months, we have been working to ensure the future of the Ralston Library by fundraising for our en...
07/08/2025

Over the past several months, we have been working to ensure the future of the Ralston Library by fundraising for our endowment in memory of Tam Carlson. One of the people behind the scenes of that campaign has been Tandy Lewis, C'80, who was recently interviewed about what the Ralston Library has meant to his family and why he believes it is worthy of support. Thank you to everyone who has supported this campaign already! Article attached.

"From what I've read, there's nothing like [the Ralston Library] anywhere in the United States, certainly at the university level, and perhaps even on a private level."

Our director's review of the Spoleto Festival's recent production of Britten's "The Turn of the Screw" was published tod...
06/26/2025

Our director's review of the Spoleto Festival's recent production of Britten's "The Turn of the Screw" was published today.

Nathan C. Stewart on a performance of Benjamin Britten’s “The Turn of the Screw,” at the Spoleto Festival.

06/25/2025
06/01/2025
Several of our volunteers are in the orchestra, so please support them by attending this concert on Friday!
04/24/2025

Several of our volunteers are in the orchestra, so please support them by attending this concert on Friday!

Join the Sewanee Symphony Orchestra for Vienna to Bohemia, a captivating musical journey through the heart of Central Europe. Under the direction of Maestro Mario Alejandro Torres and featuring guest flutist Gemma Goday in Mozart’s Flute Concerto in D major, the program brings to life the elegance of Mozart, the passion of Brahms in his Hungarian Dances Nos. 1, 5, and 6, and the folk-inspired brilliance of Smetana’s Three Dances from The Bartered Bride. Don’t miss this free performance on Friday, April 25, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. in Guerry Auditorium.

Yesterday was a wonderful day at Sewanee.
04/10/2025

Yesterday was a wonderful day at Sewanee.

A total of 3,092 donors contributed $4,787,007 on and support the Sewanee experience—breaking the record for total support! Gifts came from all 50 states to strengthen Sewanee's diverse academic and co-curricular programs.

This , please consider supporting the operations of the William Ralston Music Listening Library. Your gift will enable ...
04/08/2025

This , please consider supporting the operations of the William Ralston Music Listening Library. Your gift will enable us to repair and upgrade equipment, purchase new recordings, hire student assistants for the summer, and so much more. We exist because of your generosity and are grateful for your support.

Join me and make a gift to

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178 Georgia Avenue
Sewanee, TN
37375

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