PROGRAMME
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robert Wilson, who left us on 31 July 2025 at the age of 83. With his unmistakable, visually powerful theatre, he shaped stages around the globe for decades – and deeply moved the audience at ImPulsTanz 2023 with his production of Relative Calm together with Lucinda Childs at the Volkstheater. The performance was more than a reunion of two icons: it was a celebration of precision, reduction, and the power of light. Once again, Wilson created that unique cosmos between movement and image, sound and silence, that made his work world-renowned.
His approach to theatre was radical: no compromises, no explanations – but a rhythm of its own, a unique sense of time. With works such as Deafman Glance, Einstein on the Beach (with Philip Glass) and the CIVIL warS, he transformed our understanding of what the stage can be.
Robert Wilson was not only a director, but also a visual artist, a light architect, a thinker of movement. And a sensitive observer of the human condition – often beyond words, but always profoundly moving.
It was a great honour to welcome him to ImPulsTanz – as an artist, a visionary, a tireless seeker. His clarity, his silence, his images – they will remain.
Our heartfelt condolences go out to all who mourn Bob. We are grateful for what you shared with us and the world of theatre.
Karl Regensburger and the entire ImPulsTanz team