Pepita Emmerichs

Special guest tutor Pepita Emmerichs (Pepi) joins us again for our second ever Glasgow Mandolin Retreat. Since receiving a scholarship to study classical violin at the VCA Secondary School in 2008, Pepi has expanded her influences and passion for contemporary music through studying Jazz, Pop, Bluegrass and Oldtime styles. In the space of only three years studying improvisation at the VCA, Pepi cemented herself into the Melbourne scene and since graduating with a BMus in Music Performance (Improvisation) established herself as one of Australia’s up-and-coming contemporary violinists.

In her first year at the VCA Pepi formed gypsy jazz trio (Pep Talk) with fellow students Lincoln Mackenzie and Stephen Hornby. Oh Pep! was formed at VCASS with classical guitarist, singer and songwriter Olivia Hally and soon morphed in to a folk/pop band that has been gaining a fan base ever since. Oh Pep! have toured nationally since 2012 and internationally since 2014, recording three EP’s and two albums along the way. Their 2016 debut album Stadium Cake was praised as a pop/folk gem by the likes of NPR, KEXP, The New York Times and Paste Magazine and won Best Roots Album at The Age Music Victoria Awards. Oh Pep! have opened for the likes of Billy Bragg, The Mountain Goats, Bernard Fanning, Martha Wainwright and Lake Street Dive and performed at SXSW, The Great Escape, Glastonbury Festival, Woodford Folk Festival and Primavera Pro, amongst others. 

As a multi-genre violinist/mandolinist Pepi has performed with Deborah Conway, Gerry Hale’s Uncle Bill, The Morrisons, 8 Foot Felix, Jimmy Stewart, Dave Arden Band, Richard Piper and Aine Tyrrell. As a session musician and string arranger Pepi has recorded with Emilee South, Aine Tyrrell, Gallie, Christopher Coleman Collective and Al Parkinson amongst others.

She currently spends her time between Oh Pep! tours in Australia and Scotland, performing primarily on mandolin with her original folk duo Rain Of Animals, country/bluegrass band Good Guy Hank as well as a new stringband ‘Swamp Chicken’ playing old time music in Scotland.