Tsuzamen

By day, Michael Bell is the Philip David Lowe Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. But by night, he is a composer and performer. In 2010, he co-founded the award-winning quintet Graminy, whose four albums bring grassroots and classical music together in a style the group calls “class-grass.” He also performs as one half of the Elm Duo, a father-daughter duet with his daughter Eleanor Mayerfeld, Tsuzamen's lead vocalist. Mike is a prolific songwriter, focusing on social and environmental themes, often with a klezmer vibe. Mike’s classical composition includes dozens of works for chamber ensembles, symphony, choir, voice, and solo piano. Two movements of his symphony Regeneration were premiered by the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra in 2024, with choreography by Kanopy Dance.

Samantha Bosco is a musician, liberation activist, and sustainable agriculture researcher. She first entered the world of music at the age of 8 playing grunge, punk, metal, and ska guitar. In 2001, she picked up the bass and fell in love with jazz, motown, funk, and Latin grooves. Samantha moved to Madison in late 2023 and joined Tzusamen in mid 2024.  

Daniel Grabois is Professor of Horn at the Mead Witter School of Music, University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 2024, he and his wife, violinist Meg Lamm, joined  Tsuzamen, sparking his ongoing exploration of the horn’s place in klezmer music. He also plays the Continuum Fingerboard in Tsuzamen.

In 2022, Grabois released his second solo album, Fire Names, featuring his original music for horn and tape. This followed his earlier release, Air Names. The next installment, Earth Names, will be released in September of 2025, and Water Names will complete the set in 2026. His compositions, including four etude books and an array of chamber and solo works, are published through Wave Front Music.

Alongside his musical career, Grabois is an avid woodworker and martial artist.

Daniel Grabois is a Yamaha Performing Artist.

Through the breadth of his musical endeavors and his own unique inner vision of sound and music, Todd creates meaningful connections between himself, his students, colleagues, and audiences everywhere. His work includes performances both in the US and abroad, extensive musical composition, and teaching and outreach programs to groups large and small. He has trained with some of the world’s leading percussionists and is a life-long student of the percussive arts. “Through my clinics, workshops, artist residencies and the Hand Drum Exploratorium,” says Todd, “I’ve seen thousands of students become engaged and enthralled by the sheer joy of making music.”

Residing in Madison, Todd has a thriving private teaching studio and is a Teaching Specialist at UW-Madison’s Mead Witter School of Music. A disciple of the late tabla drum master Pandit Sharda Sahai, he holds a B.M. from University of Arizona (1992), and a D.M.A. from UW-Madison (2010).

Meg Lamm has played violin almost her whole life. A devoted chamber musician, she more recently has delved into klezmer, a tradition that deeply resonates with her. She feels fortunate to have been able to study with the amazing klezmer legend Alicia Svigals. 

Before moving to Madison, Meg taught middle and high school math in New York City and co-founded Kaleidoscope, a program that brought math to life through hands-on art projects for students and teachers throughout the New York City public schools. 

When not playing violin (or viola), Meg enjoys baking sourdough bread, finding the perfect Benjamin Moore paint color, and hiking the trails around Madison with her dog, Libby. She is thrilled to be playing in Tsuzamen with her husband, hornist Daniel Grabois.