2026-27 Musician Handbook: Seating Policies & Part Assignments

Overview

“Seating” describes where a musician sits within their orchestra section. The process to decide seating varies by each GTCYS orchestra and instrument. Seating considerations may include many factors like weekly musical preparation, leadership skills, behavior, attendance, and experience in different parts of each section.

Seating auditions aren’t competitions but enable students to develop important musical skills such as accountability, attention to detail, focused practice, ability to meet musical deadlines, and performing solo in front of others. After seating auditions, students receive written feedback on their playing from music professionals.

All seating auditions are live and in person. If students are unavoidably absent the day of, they can record a video at home and submit it for the seating adjudicator to review. Each conductor uses the results of seating auditions to help determine seating orders for sections; conductors have the final decision on seating and reserve the right to change seating at any time during the season for any reason.

Every musician in an orchestra contributes in valuable ways regardless of where they’re seated; everyone plays a part in the greater whole.

Philharmonia East & West, and Sinfonia East & West

No seating auditions in these levels

• At the beginning of the season, seating and part assignments will be determined by the conductor based on students’ GTCYS placement audition.
• Seating may be adjusted throughout the year based on students’ progress and repertoire requirements. Violinists may switch between first and second parts during the year and wind instrument part assignments may change. Factors such as behavior and attendance may be taken into consideration.

Concertino East & West, Camerata Vivace and Con Brio, Concert Orchestra, Philharmonic, and Symphony

Strings:

• At the beginning of the season, string players will be seated by the conductor based on students’ GTCYS placement audition.
• Conductors will announce selected musical excerpts to prepare at least two weeks before seating audition dates, then each student will perform their excerpts for a seating audition judge on the scheduled date.
• Seating audition judges will listen to each student and provide written feedback to be handed out at the following rehearsals. The conductor will use the judges’ assessments to determine specific seating; other factors including student behavior and attendance may be taken into consideration.
• Students should make every effort to attend scheduled seating auditions in person. If a student is unavoidably absent, they have a chance to record and submit a video using online forms that GTCYS will provide.
  • Planned absences: Students should record and submit their video the day before scheduled seating auditions. They’ll receive full written feedback on their audition from the audition judges.
  • Unexpected absences: Students can submit a video within 24 hours of their normal rehearsal but are not guaranteed to receive any written feedback.
• Students who do not send a recording on time and in the correct format will not have the opportunity to be assessed again until the next audition. They should contact their conductor directly if they are unable to submit a video for any reason.
• Each conductor reserves the right to make changes to video submission policies for their orchestra.

Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion:

• At the beginning of the season, seating and part assignments will be determined by the conductor based on students’ GTCYS placement audition.
• Seating and part assignments may be adjusted by the conductor throughout the year based on students’ progress and repertoire requirements.
• Students playing woodwind instruments may be assigned auxiliary woodwind parts including piccolo, English horn, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, and contrabassoon. GTCYS will provide these instruments at no charge for students to use during the season if they do not own their own respective instrument.
• Woodwind, brass, and percussion seating auditions may be scheduled throughout the season at the conductor’s discretion. These seating auditions follow a similar format to those of strings as dictated above.