A Symphony of the Hills concert Saturday celebrated jazz as a uniquely American art form, tracing the genre’s influence from New Orleans to Broadway through vocal performances, dance and piano works including George Gershwin’s Variations on “I Got Rhythm.”

The Jan. 3 program explored jazz music’s evolution through big band and Western Swing, featuring three performers with strong local ties.

Dr. Donald Crandall, a Schreiner University professor of music with more than 30 years of teaching experience, performed at piano. Crandall, who received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin in 1997, has served 17 years as music director at Schreiner and earned the university’s Margaret Hosler Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2000. He was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame in 2025 and performs regularly with the Symphony of the Hills orchestra, as well as several local jazz and swing bands.

Seth Lafler, director of choral music at Tivy High School and First Presbyterian Church of Kerrville, performed vocals. Lafler, who holds a master’s degree in administration from Lamar University, made his international solo debut at the 2025 International Trombone Festival in London, Ontario, and performs with San Antonio Chamber Choir.

Saxophonist Houston Schuman, a second-year mechanical engineering student at Schreiner from Fort Worth, also performed. Schuman has won the Outstanding Recitalist Award in the university’s music department.