We are excited to have special guest tutor Pepita Emmerichs (Pepi) join us for a master class. 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 in to 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. At the VCA she studied with renowned multi genre violinists Nigel Maclean, Erkki Veltheim and Tamil Rogeon, as well as Christopher Hale (bass) and Eugene Ball (trumpet). 

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 fanbase ever since. Oh Pep! have toured nationally since 2012 and internationally since 2014, recording three EP’s and two album 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. 

When not performing with Oh Pep!, Olivia and Pepi also record and perform under their side project Fat Cousin Skinny, exploring old time music. They also play in a pop/punk band called Good Option with acclaimed Melbourne singer- songwriter Angie McMahon. 

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. Pepi was the recipient of the Invergowrie scholarship for female artists in 2010, a Youth Stars grant in 2013 and also the Ian Alexander scholarship, which in 2012 saw her attending summer fiddle camps in Boston, Ohio and West Virginia and had the opportunity of studying with many contemporary violin icons such as Darol Anger, Alex Hargreaves, Bruce Molsky, Casey Dreissen, Christian Howes and Brittany Haas. 

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.