The Second International Conference on Minimalist Music, in conjunction with the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance, presents composer and artist Mikel Rouse in a discussion and screening of his films Funding (2001) and Music for Minorities (2004) on Wednesday, September 2, at 7 p.m. at the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St.

An alumnus of UMKC and the Kansas City Art Institute, Mikel Rouse has been hailed by The New York Times as “a composer many believe to be the best of his generation.” The films follow two very different narratives, yet are representative of the unique prism through which Rouse presents his amalgamation of musical, visual, and textual elements. Critic Mark Swed of The Los Angeles Times called Rouse’s work “pure sonic entertainment, lifting us all to a higher plane”  and contended it “might rightly be called Opera Verité.”

Rouse will deliver a brief introductory presentation prior to the screenings and participate in a Q&A session afterwards.