He upended theatrical norms with his own stunningly visualized works and his collaborations with a wide range of artists, from Philip Glass (“Einstein on the Beach”) to Lady Gaga.

Robert Wilson, a leader in avant-garde theater who collaborated with Philip Glass, David Byrne and Lady Gaga over his six-decade career, has died. He was 83.

Robert Wilson, known as a writer and director of avant-garde theater, has died at age 83. Wilson, who was gay, died Thursday at his home in Water Mill, New York, after a short illness, Chris Green, the executor of his estate and president of the Robert Wilson Arts Foundation, told The New York Times.