October Spotlight: Ben and Jerry Dell Gimarc
Ben and Jerry Dell Gimarc have been longtime friends and supporters of the School
of Music and audience staples at many of our ensembles’ concerts and events. We recently
talked with the Gimarcs about their love of the School of Music’s programs, especially
chamber music, and supporting a new generation of musicians.
Tell us a bit about your background — where you’re from originally and how Columbia became, or always has been, a part of your story.
Ben: I was born in Arizona and grew up in New Mexico and Texas.
Jerry Dell: And I was born in Texas and grew up there. Ben and I married in 1959. I joined him
in Evanston, IL where we were both in grad school.
Ben: We moved to Columbia in 1966 when I took a position on the chemistry faculty at USC.
Both of us were interested in classical music before we married, mainly listening
to recordings.
Jerry Dell: My mother and I rode the bus from Abilene, TX, to Dallas to hear Risë Stevens in Salome [Richard Strauss], a risqué choice for a 12-year-old, but it confirmed my love of
grand opera. Our education in live musical performance was sealed with three seasons
(28 concerts per year) by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Fritz
Reiner and Sunday afternoon chamber music performances by the Northwestern School
of Music.
What is your connection to the School of Music?
Jerry Dell: We are friends of the School of Music but have a University connection. Ben served as Professor of Chemistry from 1966 – 2000, and I was on the staff at the School of Public Health for a brief time.
Why do you give to and support the USC School of Music?
Ben: We want to continue community performances of classical music and support a new generation of musicians.
What impact do you hope your support has on our students and community?
Jerry Dell: Music appeals to something in our souls. It is able to transcend boundaries. We need what music brings as well as the faculty and student musicians who are its messengers. We support the USC Symphony and are delighted to experience the excellence of these young musicians and their growth through the academic year. The Jesselson Family String Quartet-in-Residency Endowment Fund makes it possible to bring the world-class Parker Quartet to campus annually. Students have a chance to work with these musicians in one-on-one masterclasses. While here, the Parker perform extraordinary public concerts, but they also go to places where classical music performances are uncommon: prisons, healthcare facilities, and public schools. They demonstrate to School of Music students the reach and power of music way beyond the concert hall, another lesson in music's power to connect us.
What does supporting the School of Music mean to you personally?
Ben: We hope to continue to enjoy fine performances of classical music.
Jerry Dell: We have gotten to know faculty and some of the students through the years. We are
proud to be a part of the School of Music’s regional and national recognition for
its outstanding musical education and musical performances.
Do you play a musical instrument(s)?
Ben: I play violin and mandolin.
How long have you played?
Ben: I studied violin from ages 10-18.
How has music played a role in your life or impacted you personally?
Ben: Studying a musical instrument helped me develop discipline and self-criticism. I was the concert master of the high school orchestra. I also won a scholarship to study for one year with Rafael Druian, then concert master of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Antal Dorati.
Do you have a favorite School of Music ensemble(s) or concert series?
We enjoy and always attend the Freeman Concerts @ 3, Graduate String Quartet concerts, Opera at USC productions, the Parker Quartet - Guest Artist Residency, the Southeastern Piano Festival, the Southern Exposure Series and the USC Symphony Orchestra.
Who is your favorite composer or musical artist — classical or contemporary?
Ben: Bach followed, in no particular order, by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms. Dvorak, Mendelsohn, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Vivaldi, Hayden, Shostakovich, Puccini, Verdi, Prokofiev. Jerry Dell: All the above but I am always interested in new works as well.
What would you tell another member of the Midlands community about the USC School of Music?
Both: Go to the performances and listen to some extremely talented young musicians.
Jerry Dell: And that the School is an often-missed treasure in our community.
What is something the Midlands community may not know about the School of Music that you think they should?
Ben: Until they hear some of these young musicians perform, people have no idea what a
wonderful experience they have been missing and at a very affordable cost.
Jerry Dell: Our love is classical music, but the School of Music also has great ensembles for
jazz, marching bands, chorus, percussion –a smorgasbord to tempt every taste.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience as a donor?
Another connection we have to the School of Music is the Chamber Pots, a group of friends who love chamber music now approaching 50 years together. We have had each year five chamber music concerts in one of our homes, followed by a potluck dinner. The musicians are most often faculty or students from the School of Music. When we began, the children of members of the group came, sitting on the floor, watching the musicians intently. Our lives were enriched through this close encounter with the extraordinary musicians, their various instruments and the friendships that developed. A very special connection that is still ongoing.
Donor Spotlights
Buford Norman and Elizabeth Joiner have been longtime friends and supporters of the
School of Music and audience staples at our concerts and events. And both were distinguished
faculty members of USC for over 25 years. Sadly, Elizabeth passed away on April 5, 2025, after battling breast cancer. To honor her wishes of leaving money to the School
of Music to help students, Buford made generous gifts in both their names to support
various program areas within the School. We recently talked with Buford about their
shared love of music and creating a legacy for Elizbeth at the School of Music.
Tell us a bit about your background — where you’re from originally and how Columbia became, or always has been, a part of your story.
I grew up in Memphis and went to college at Davidson, where I met quite a few people from South Carolina. After a PhD at Yale and a teaching job at Iowa State, I took a position at Carolina in 1980, partly because a distinguished scholar in my field (seventeenth-century French literature) had been teaching there. I liked the people in the language department, especially Elizabeth Joiner, who became my beloved wife a few years later.
What is your connection to the School of Music?
Because of my interest in classical music and opera, I attended recitals and got to know several members of the music faculty. I also taught a course in literature and music (mostly opera).
Why do you give to and support the USC School of Music?
Having good music in Columbia is very important to me, as it was to Elizabeth. She wanted to leave some money to the university, and we agreed that part of it should be used to help students in the School of Music.
What impact do you hope your support has on our students and community?
I hope it will attract good students and guest performers to Carolina, especially in the areas of early music and of chamber music.
What does supporting the School of Music mean to you personally?
It has given us the opportunity to hear good music in Columbia and get to know some of the students, faculty, and staff.
Do you play a musical instrument(s)?
Yes, I have been playing the harpsichord for 50 years!
How has music played a role in your life or impacted you personally?
I take great pleasure in listening to music. I am fascinated by its formal structure and often moved by performances.
Do you have a favorite School of Music ensemble(s) or concert series?
Graduate String Quartet; Opera at USC full stage productions; Parker Quartet - Guest Artist Residency; Southeastern Piano Festival; USC Symphony Orchestra
Who is your favorite composer or musical artist — classical or contemporary?
J.S. Bach
What would you tell another member of the Midlands community about the USC School of Music?
I would tell them that the quality of performances is very high, and the students work hard and are eager to have new experiences.
What is something the Midlands community may not know about the School of Music that you think they should?
Its students often give performances around the US and around the world.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about your experience as a donor?
It means a lot to me to know that some students are able to take part in activities that would have been unavailable to them without our donation.
Shupeng Cao, a doctoral student at the University of South Carolina School of Music, was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Whittaker Composition Commission Fund award, fulfilling a composer's dream of having his work premiered by top musicians.
Barbara and Mark Whittaker, are music enthusiasts and originally from Michigan now
residing in South Carolina. They were inspired by the talent of the School of Music
students during the 2022 Musical Feast. This led them to establish the Whittaker Composition
Commission Fund, which supports student composers by commissioning new works each
year, with different ensembles performing the premieres.
The fund, created with the assistance of Assistant Dean for Advancement Audra Vaz, provides financial support for students and enriches the educational experience by offering professional commissions to current composition students. “[This fund] helps support the core mission of our school to advance excellence, student success, and diverse skilled musicians,” said Professor of Composition Dr. John Fitz Rogers .
Shupeng Cao, who is now pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Composition, created the piece "A Sliver of Sky" for the New Sounds Quartet, a graduate string ensemble dedicated to contemporary music. “Writing this piece gave me the confidence that I have the ability to work on a commission project under a strict deadline," said Shupeng. "It helped me develop more efficient ways of composing, learn to manage my time and overall make me more professional as a composer.” The piece premiered on April 16, offering students and the public a unique musical experience.
You Transform Lives
When you give to the School of Music, you fulfill the dreams of talented, hard-working individuals. You foster innovative music projects, provide funding for music education and enable students to perform, enriching their perspectives and experiences. Your generosity fuels our drive to build a diverse and creative community of musicians, music educators, music industry professionals and music lovers. With your help, our students are inspired and encouraged to expand their horizons and dream big. When you support the School of Music, you play a crucial role in the transformative power of how music changes the lives of our students, who in turn enrich the lives of others.
To learn more about the ways you can transform a student’s life or leave a legacy at the School of Music, contact Audra Vaz, Assistant Dean for Advancement.