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University Symphony welcomes Dunns to WMU

Sept. 14, 2007

KALAMAZOO--The Western Michigan University Symphony Orchestra will open its 2007-08 season with a concert to welcome the new president and first lady, John M. and Linda Dunn, and formally introduce them to the University's internationally recognized School of Music.

The concert, which is open to the public free of charge, begins at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7, in Miller Auditorium.

"From Russia with Love" will feature three popular symphonic works, all by Russian composers. The program will begin with the Overture to "Colas Breugnon" by Dmitri Kabalevsky. Lori Sims, pianist and WMU professor of music, will be the featured soloist in the popular "Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor" by Serge Rachmaninoff. The centerpiece of the concert will be Dmitri Shostakovich's "Symphony No. 5 in D Minor." This piece launched Shostakovich into national prominence at its premiere in Moscow.

Dunn began his tenure as WMU's eighth president on July 1. He was chosen for the position in April by the WMU Board of Trustees, following a nationwide search. Before coming to WMU, he served as interim chancellor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Media contact: Kevin West, (269) 387-4678, kevin.west@wmich.edu

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