Must the concerto be memorized?

[chopinlover23]

Hi there, I need some advice, I'm set to play Mozart's 23rd Piano Concerto with my music school and I just wanted to know if Piano Concertos must be memorized all the time you perform on stage with the orchestra? They have page-turners but I'm just curious

[mcdiddy1]

Concertos are usually memorized. An exemption are sometimes some pianist conduct Mozart concertos and play it at the same time! It might be too late to memorize it so now so you shouldn't worry about it. but some of the benefits of memorizing are:

avoiding page turns
looking more professional
more freedom in playing the music

performing advance music from memory is usually more of a security blanket rather than necessity. At that level you could easily perform it from memory and should be cause it less stressful worrying about what is written on the page and if the page turn turns at the right moment.

[quantum]

IMO, giving a solid interpretation of the music along with effective communication with the whole ensemble is much more important than worrying about whether the piece is memorized or not.  Yes, memorization does help but is not absolutely necessary to a successful performance. 

[asiantraveller101]

Yes, for all solo and concerto playing, it is best to play from memory. It is part of your musical training. However, if it is too late, do not stress over it. It is better to have a smooth and convincing performance with music, than an unsecured, but memorized performance. Good luck!
Ps. The music should only act as a security blanket, try not to read off from it while performing.

[von]

Best of luck, by the way. A concerto is one of the most thrilling performances you can ever have on stage.