How to make an orchestra seating chart
- Choose full orchestra or strings. Try Full orchestra for 60 players or String orchestra for 28. Use this layout keeps the chairs and removes the example names; Start blank gives you an empty room.
- Add your players. Paste Name, Instrument and Chair columns, or import CSV or XLSX. Give first and second violins distinct labels: Violin I and Violin II. Check the import preview before adding everyone.
- Lay out your sections. Open Arcs for your sections, choose Orchestra in Ensemble layout and lay out the roster. Strings go at the front, with separate areas for woodwinds, brass and percussion behind.
- Check chairs and adjust. Review chair order, swap players or move a section. Lock positions that need to stay fixed before using Smart arrange again. Check the unseated count and any warnings.
- Print or share. Export a Letter or A4 PDF with the floor plan and numbered lists, or share a read-only snapshot. Autosave keeps the editable plan in this browser; a plan file is your portable backup.
Read this example from the podium
The chart looks from the audience toward the players: the conductor’s podium is at the bottom. The conductor faces up into the ensemble, so their left is page-left, also the audience’s left. Players facing the conductor see that side on their right.
In this starting layout, Violin I and Violin II occupy separate front sections on page-left, followed by violas and cellos toward page-right. Double basses sit behind the cellos. Woodwinds are behind the strings, with brass and percussion farther back. The Nashville Symphony’s teacher orchestra diagram shows these instrument families in an educational stage plan.
Full orchestra has 40 strings, eight woodwinds, nine brass players and three timpani/percussion players: a starting roster, not a standard orchestra size or required balance of instruments.
A string orchestra seating chart for school
Choose String orchestra for 10 first violins, eight second violins, four violas, four cellos and two double basses. Generating sections sizes the chairs for the players you import.
Decide the order for your teaching goals. You can place an experienced player beside someone learning a part, rotate leadership manually, or lock a student’s position for sightlines or access. The Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras’ seating policy explains its use of rotations and conductor decisions. A chair number need not be a front-to-back judgment of a student’s ability.
First chair and the roster you import
The concertmaster leads the first violins from a front position close to the conductor. The Hamilton Philharmonic’s explanation places that chair on the conductor’s left. Here, Violin I rank 1 starts at the front near the podium. Review other principals’ positions and adjust them for your ensemble.
| Column | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Name | One player on each line |
| Instrument, Section or Part | Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello, Double bass, or another instrument |
| Chair, Rank or Position | Your order within that section: 1, 2, 3… |
| Grade, Level or Notes | Optional tags or rehearsal notes |
Repeat the section beside every player. Keep first and second violins distinct, and start chair numbers again at 1 for each instrument. Chair rank belongs to the player; the physical seat number belongs to the chart. Split sections get row suffixes, such as Violin I · 1. The tool assigns individual chairs, not shared stands or automatic stand partners. After changing ranks, use Smart arrange and review locks.
Typical layouts and Classical-period music
Adjacent violin sections are one option. Divided violins put the two sections on opposite sides, with lower strings between them. The PBS LearningMedia string-seating guide shows both approaches and discusses adapting them for school ensembles. Orchestre Métropolitain describes its own divided-violin arrangement.
There is no single historical setup promised here. For Classical-period repertoire, check the score’s instrumentation and your conductor’s preferred seating. The full example includes instruments that many such works do not use. Move sections, change capacities and remove unneeded instruments rather than treating the example as an authentic period reconstruction.
A blank template, a PDF and the next rehearsal
Use this layout gives you empty chairs in the selected setup. Start blank gives you an empty room. On a phone, use the player list to tap a name and choose a seat; you can swap players without dragging a small label across the plan. Undo restores a change you want to reverse.
Download the example as a Letter PDF or an A4 PDF. Your own PDF can include the floor plan, alphabetical list and numbered section lists. SVG or PNG fits into a rehearsal handout. Save a plan file before switching devices; names and editable plans stay in this browser by default. Share links contain snapshots, so make a new one after changing seats.
For a wind ensemble or big band, open the band seating tool. For singers, use the choir seating chart generator with explicit SATB parts and row blocks. For general music-class desks, use the classroom seating generator.
Frequently asked questions
Is this orchestra seating chart generator free?
Yes. Both examples, section layouts, Smart arrange and every export are free, with no account or watermark. Names stay in your browser unless you choose to share a link or file.
Where does first chair sit in an orchestra?
The concertmaster leads the first violins from the front close to the conductor. In this example the podium is at the bottom, and Violin I chair 1 is near it on page-left. Other section positions are decisions for your conductor.
How do I keep first and second violins separate?
Use Violin I and Violin II in the Instrument or Section column. Put each player’s order in a separate Chair column, starting at 1 again within each section. First and second violin are parts; Chair is the order within that part.
Can I make a string orchestra seating chart for middle school?
Yes. Choose String orchestra for a 28-player starting example with two violin sections, viola, cello and double bass. Replace the names and change section sizes for your own students; the example’s numbers are not a required school-orchestra ratio.
Can I start with a blank orchestra seating chart?
Use this layout removes the sample names while keeping its chairs and podium. Start blank also removes the layout. Add your roster, then build sections for the instruments you actually have.
Can I download an orchestra seating chart PDF with seat numbers?
Yes. Export on Letter or A4 with a floor plan, alphabetical list and lists for each section or row. A physical seat number identifies a position; an imported chair rank identifies the player’s order. Ranked lists show both.
Is this a Classical-period orchestra seating chart?
The examples are editable modern starting layouts, not historical reconstructions. Divided violins are another documented arrangement, and instrumentation and seating vary with the score and conductor. Move sections to match the setup you need.
Can players open the chart on their phones?
Share makes a read-only snapshot with a find-your-seat search. Create a new link after changing the chart. If a plan is too large for a link, share an exported plan file or PDF instead.