1.   A typical day begins with an early breakfast, followed by a three-hour orchestra rehearsal.

2.   On Wednesday, the first day of orchestra rehearsals, he invited the finalists to sit onstage with the orchestra and pointed out several pitfalls of concerto collaboration.

3.   The core players convey their ideas to their sections, but at the first full orchestra rehearsal everything can change.

4.   Thielemann got his training in what he calls the old-fashioned way, playing piano for singers, playing piano at stage rehearsals and paying attention at orchestra rehearsals.