Meet the Band
Stavros Chrysoulis (he/him)
Guitar
Stavros is a 19-year-old guitarist from Sooke. He has been a self-taught player for seven years and particularly enjoys playing Blues, R&B and Funk. Stavros has also been trained in more classical forms of music such as playing Trumpet in high school bands and composing music for small ensembles from the Victoria Symphony.
In high school, Stavros was known for putting together musical ensembles to perform in school concerts. He enjoys writing music. Stavros is currently studying Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology at Camosun College. He put together The Garden of Eden to keep his musical endeavours alive because of his love for performing and music.
Teaghan Dillon (he/him)
Bass
Teaghan Dillon is a 17-year-old multi-instrumentalist performing as the bassist with The Garden of Eden. Having played the string bass for four years and the violin for seven, Teaghan performs in multiple ensembles offered through the Belmont Secondary School Music Department, serving as a member of the school’s Senior Winds, Jazz Band and R&B Band.
In addition to exploring the aforementioned genres through his musical involvement through school, Teaghan predominantly plays styles such as Swing, Folk, and Blues, drawing great inspiration from artists such as Ray Brown and Charles Mingus. One of Teaghan’s musical passions involves rearranging jazz standards and folk tunes into his own artistic work, bringing unique musical interpretations to timeless repertoire, with one of his musical goals being to learn and play folk music from a large range of cultures and countries.
Sadie Karlsson (she/her)
Vocals
Sadie Karlsson is a vocalist settled on the traditional territory of the Lekwungen nation in what is colonially known as Victoria, B.C. She has been immersed in the world of fine arts for 15+ years and is well-versed in a diverse array of genres, ranging from Western Classical to Jazz to R&B.
Sadie is currently in her second year studying Voice in the studio of Anne Grimm at the University of Victoria's School of Music and was awarded the Bea Scott Scholarship in Voice, the Bruce & Connie More Choral Music Scholarship, and the School of Music Women's Choral Scholarship in 2023. She performs with multiple of the program’s vocal ensembles, including the UVic Chamber Singers and Voice Ensemble. Sadie is especially active with the university’s Vocal Jazz department, serving as the Ensemble Manager for their 2023/24 season in addition to performing with one of their signature studio groups. Furthermore, Sadie regularly performs with multiple student-led combos, singing with an SATBB Jazz quintet and an SSA trio in addition to her large ensemble endeavours. Outside of her studies, Sadie works as the resident Musical Director for the youth programs offered through Theatre al Dente, applying music as a medium for interpersonal growth and self-expression whilst sharing her love for her craft with the next generation of artists.
Driven by an immense passion for performance, Sadie is sincerely grateful for opportunities to connect with others through song and looks forward to taking to the stage with The Garden of Eden in the near future.
Kai Kelly (he/him)
Drums
Born in Brisbane, Australia and raised in Victoria, Kai Kelly is a 17-year-old drummer and a recent addition to The Garden of Eden. Having started out as a self-taught player, he has been studying drumming with Murray Creed at Groove Studios for the past four years. Kai has drawn his musical influences from a wide array of artists and genres, spanning from the relatively unknown punk band “nomeansno” to Miles Davis. His strong background in Jazz has provided Kai with a great level of stylistic flexibility, allowing him to adapt to the demands of diverse genres.
In addition to his lessons, Kai is heavily involved in the music program at Lambrick Park Secondary School where he was recently awarded the Senior Jazz Award, having previously been the two-time recipient of the program’s Junior Jazz and Fine Arts Awards respectively. Furthermore, he is currently in the process of tracking drums for a friend’s upcoming EP, bringing his skill set for live performance to the recording studio. Following his graduation from high school next spring, Kai intends to study contemporary music post-secondary, working towards his dream of one day playing in a Broadway pit orchestra.
In his spare time, Kai enjoys photography, producing electronic music and creating original short films, bringing a cinematic, up-beat flavour to his projects. Heading into 2024, Kai looks forward to working on original tunes, playing a steady stream of gigs, and above all, making people dance!
Essencia Leandro (she/her)
Piano / Vocals
Piano has always been a constant throughout Essencia’s life. Aside from a few years of lessons taken when she was young, she is almost entirely self-taught and began focusing more seriously on her piano studies during her time at Belmont Secondary School. Essencia is currently completing her third year of the Victoria Conservatory’s Music Performance Diploma program, primarily studying Jazz Piano in the studio of Danuel Tate in addition to studies in voice, guitar, and drums.
On top of playing her instruments, Essencia is an accomplished composer, one of her songs having been awarded first place at Daniel Lapp’s Joy of Life Festival in April of 2023. She is also the first recipient of the 2023 Kirby Howard Music Award by Camosun College and has previously received one of the Conservatory’s highest Vanhall Scholarship Awards.