Celebrated American director Robert Wilson, renowned for transforming stage and opera, passed away peacefully on Thursday at the age of 83, according to a statement from his management.
“Robert Wilson died today in Water Mill, New York, following a brief but acute illness,” the announcement on his official website said, noting that he continued to work until the very end.
Wilson’s groundbreaking productions—both original works and reinterpretations of classic repertoire—were widely acclaimed worldwide, with particular admiration coming from France, which he often called his artistic home.
He first rose to international fame in 1976 with the revolutionary opera Einstein on the Beach, composed by Philip Glass. The nearly five-hour piece defied traditional opera norms by eschewing a linear narrative, instead exploring themes related to Einstein’s life and the concept of space-time through evocative dance and minimalist staging.
Known for his minimalist aesthetics, use of body language inspired by Asian theatrical traditions, and dreamlike lighting effects, Wilson was a pioneer of avant-garde theater.
His close relationship with France began with Deafman Glance (Le Regard du Sourd), a silent seven-hour performance first presented at the Nancy Festival in 1971 and later in Paris. This work was inspired by a real-life incident when Wilson witnessed a 13-year-old deaf and mute Black teenager, Raymond Andrews, being beaten by police—a boy whom Wilson eventually adopted.
Besides theater, Wilson was a prolific visual artist with notable collaborations including choreographer Andy de Groat, musician Tom Waits, actress Isabelle Huppert (Orlando), pop icon Lady Gaga (for video portraits at the Louvre), and ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov.
“Despite his diagnosis, Wilson faced it with determination and continued creating until the end,” his website stated. “His extensive legacy—from stage works and sculptures to video portraits and The Watermill Center—will endure.”
Memorial services will be arranged at a later date.
Born on October 4, 1941, in Waco, Texas, to a lawyer, Wilson began performing plays in his family garage at just 12 years old, though he struggled academically and battled a severe stutter, which he overcame with the help of a psychotherapist using dance therapy.
In his twenties, Wilson moved to New York, where he immersed himself in the avant-garde scene, influenced by figures like Andy Warhol, John Cage, George Balanchine, and especially Martha Graham.
In 1992, he founded The Watermill Center near New York, a creative laboratory dedicated to nurturing emerging talent.
— AFP
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