It has been five decades of sketches, laughs, and music, and some SFCM talent was there to celebrate. 

SFCM alumnus, guitarist, and songwriter Gyan Riley performed as part of the series of performances for Saturday Night Live’s (SNL) 50th year anniversary in New York City, including playing on stage with legendary Paul Simon and newcomer pop singer Sabrina Carpenter.

Riley holds both a bachelor of music (‘99) and a master of music (‘01) from SFCM. While at the Conservatory he was a student of Chair of the Guitar Department David Tanenbaum. 

Mark Stewart and Gyan Riley. (L to R)

“My time at SFCM gave me a strong foundation in harmony, musicianship, and guitar technique that I'll forever carry with me,” Riley said. “Since my days there I have steered more toward composition, experimental music, improvisation, and more recently, songwriting.” Riley got the opportunity through his long playing history with Mark Stewart, who is Paul Simon’s music director.  

The 50th-anniversary special was an hours-long monumental effort by the SNL team to honor and encapsulate the show’s history and its ongoing cultural relevance. The celebration was filled with performances, skits, and appearances from some of the biggest names in entertainment. The event came to a dazzling conclusion with the legendary Paul McCartney taking the stage to perform an unforgettable medley of songs from the Beatles' classic 1969 album, Abbey Road. 

“I was very grateful to attend SFCM and inspired by the opportunity to work with a myriad of expert professors, learning everything I could from them. In particular, my music teachers Dusan Bogdanovic, David Tanenbaum, David Conte, and Scott Fogelsong were influential during my time there,” Riley added. 

Riley will soon go on tour with Simon, but recently his latest work, a solo album, Winter Sun was released February 7. 

Learn more about studying guitar at SFCM.