After studying at the University of Texas and the Pratt Institute, he founded The Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds in New York in the 1960s, creating major works such as Deafman Glance (1970) and Einstein on the Beach (1976) in collaboration with Philip Glass.

Wilson has worked with artists such as Tom Waits, Laurie Anderson and Susan Sontag, and has signed iconic productions including Samuel Beckett’s La Dernière bande and Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande.

His award-winning work is exhibited in international collections. He is also the founder of the Watermill Center, a laboratory for the arts in New York.