Though the immortal Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is listed first in this weekend's Omaha Symphony program, it's the music of Jean Sibelius, the great national composer of Finland, that clearly dominates the show.

Guest conductor Jeffrey Kahane, however, succeeds in balancing the scales in "Mozart and Sibelius." It happened in Friday night's debut as Kahane deftly executed the roles of conductor and pianist — at times simultaneously — in the symphony's presentation of Mozart's elegant Piano Concerto No. 25.

One needs, then, to speak of Kahane the pianist before telling those thinking of attending Saturday's 8 p.m. finale more about Kahane the conductor's choice to feature Sibelius in the bulk of his program.

In leading the Mozart, Kahane sat with his back to the audience, and the Holland's grand piano pointed toward the ensemble. That let him stand to direct the orchestra-only motifs, sit to execute Mozart's piano cadenzas and even occasionally direct with one free hand while gliding up and down the keyboard with the other.

Mozart composed his piano works on the fortepiano, a shorter precursor of the modern instrument with a restricted dynamic range. Though Kahane uses the modern concert grand piano, not once — even in his most animated movements — does he permit himself to indulge its capacity for thunder. He lets Mozart's shimmering, cascading phrases convey the emotion.

In regard to Sibelius, this weekend's program eschews "Finlandia" — his 1899 tone poem that supplied the melody for the hymn "Be Still, My Soul" — in favor of three other works in which he gave aural expression to Finland's landscape and culture.

It was during the four-year incubation of Sibelius' Fifth Symphony, the program's closing showcase, that Finland broke away from Russia in 1917. One can easily interpret this three-movement work as Finland's introduction of itself to the world. The symphony's delicate yet deeply expressive treatment enhances the impression.

Throughout the work, French horns, woodwinds and timpani consistently evoke Finland's deep forests, lakes and islands. In the majestic final movement, the symphony's string sections show their virtuosity in their soft yet clear and crisp execution of difficult passages.

Kahane rounds out the program with the bittersweet "Valse Triste," depicting a dying woman's last moments of life, and the concert-opening "Lemminkäinen's Return," drawn from Finland's national epic legend, the "Kalevala."