How do you prepare for a concerto competition?

When you are playing a concerto with an orchestra, the most important thing is to be prepared. Practise by yourself, but also with a piano accompanist, so that you know how the piece will sound when everything comes together.

Listening to recordings will help, as will meeting the conductor for half an hour before you rehearse. Get to know each other as people, then talk about the music and approach. I prefer to leave finer details for the rehearsal.

In general, the conductor is the boss and you have to follow, even if you are the soloist. If you disagree with a conductor who is really stubborn, all you can do is try to survive! If you know the piece and the orchestral score well, you should have enough flexibility and freedom to go along with something you might not agree with.