Maybe it was knowing a donor had come forward and ensured another season. Maybe it was the euphoria of completing a challenging season. Maybe it was the fine leadership of guest conductor Naoto Otomo.

Whatever the reason, the Honolulu Symphony's season finale was terrific.

The quiet opening chords of Weber's "Freischu¬tz" Overture were luscious, beautifully crafted, perfectly balanced, with the warmth of fine liquor. And the beginning was no anomaly: The Honolulu Symphony's almost magical sound endured, leading to two magnificent chords heading the closing section and ending in a potent brass choir. It was wonderful, better than many recordings.

Weber's overture was followed by Ignace Jang's delightful performance of Mozart's Concerto No. 3, K. 216.

Jang and Mozart made a good combination: Jang's playing was clear yet warm, delicate yet robust, with the energy to sustain long lines — exactly what Mozart needs. Nervous glitches at the beginning did not interrupt and quickly yielded to the music's flow. Jang delineated Mozart's thematic characters well, and in the second movement, Jang's playing was crystalline.

"I chose (Concerto) No. 3 because of that slow movement," Jang confessed. "It's beautiful. I started the violin at (age) 5. It was a joy to discover (Mozart), the fine, beautiful lines, the purity of the lines."

Part of what made Jang's performance so entrancing was the remarkable timbre of his instrument.

"I am very fortunate to have a very good instrument," Jang explained. "It's very old, much older than most. ... They think it's about 1610, a couple generations before Stradivarius. It has a darker sound, whereas Stradivarius developed more the golden, soprano sound."

Jang slipped the constraints of being a concertmaster and revealed himself as an appealing soloist, more open, demonstrative, charismatic. He drew the audience into the music, and the audience responded with a standing ovation.

Most concerts are doing well when they garner one standing ovation. Thursday's performance garnered two, the second in response to Saint-Saens's "Organ" Symphony.

The symphony's performance of the Saint-Saens may not have been as pristine as that of Weber's Overture — those restless inner parts remained querulous — and Otomo's reading may not have been particularly French in style, but it was a rousing performance nonetheless. The slow half of the first movement was gorgeous, and the "all stops out" bombast of the finale thrilling.

Saint-Saens's colorful writing showcased many great soloists: Mark Wong (organ), Thomas Yee and Grant Mack (pianists), Scott Janusch (oboe), Paul Barrett (bassoon), and Susan McGinn (flute), to name just the tip of the list.

Did you hear the bass clarinet? The triangle? The trombones? The cello melody? ... By the end of the bows, everyone was standing.

But the best soloist of all was undoubtedly Otomo, who elicited from the musicians a luscious sound, precision, clarity, balance, passion, and dynamic control.

Otomo gave the Honolulu Symphony a spectacular season finale that will surely keep everyone waiting for the opening of 2008-09.