How do you hire a piano soloist?

[alzado]

I don't know anything about organizing an orchestra's season.  But hopefully, some on this forum may know.

Suppose you are planning an orchestra's season.  (Your city maybe has a symphony orchestra.)

Do you select a composition, and then "shop" for a soloist?  For example, you want to play the Grieg piano concerto -- or whatever.  So you make that decision.  Then you shop professional soloists to locate one who includes the Grieg in the active repertoire, is affordable (whatever your budget may be), and is willing to come. 

Or --  you start with a soloist.  You contact that performer's agent and determine what that soloist has available on his or her active repertory for the season in question.  Then you select the repertoire for that particular performance based on what that performer is willing to play.  You then buy the score for your entire orchestra -- whatever the guy is going to play -- and set about teaching your orchestra to play that "piece x." 

Or do you do a little of both?  I mean, select the piece and try to find a performer to play it, or select a performer and try to find something he is willing to play that your orchestra is willing to learn?  Or horse trade somehow?

Do performers or their agents occasionally contact the orchestra, inquiring if the performer is playing something that might "fit" the needs of the orchestra?

Do orchestras in smaller cities occasionally "book" a package deal, the way ticketmaster organizes "dates" for national tours in the popular music world?

How far in advance do you need to book a known professional pianist?  For the sake of argument, not a superstar, but at least a respected second tier performer.

It doesn't sound very easy, does it?