Rock to Baroque: Four Decades of Music Photography - Panopticon Gallery Showing at the Hotel Commonwealth

When:
Wednesday, Apr 02, 2025 9:00a -
Monday, Jun 30, 2025 5:00p

Where:
Panopticon Gallery at the Hotel Commonwealth
Kenmore Square, 502c Commonwealth Ave.
Boston, MA 02215

EventScheduled OfflineEventAttendanceMode

Admission:
FREE

Hosted by:
farahrincon Farah Rincon

Categories:
Art, History, Shows

Event website:
https://www.panopticongallery.com/

This spring, renowned photographer Eric Antoniou will publish his first book, "Rock To Baroque: Four Decades of Music Photography.”  The vast majority of Antoniou's photos from the book were captured here in Greater Boston over the past 40 years in bars, clubs and stadiums, many of which no longer exist, making this a historical look at Greater Boston's rich and diverse music history. 


Rock to Baroque combines Antoniou’s dual passion for music and photography. The book spotlights the personalities that shaped American music over the past forty years, as chronicled by a Boston-based photographer with a photo pass and a discerning eye. 


This remarkable collection of photos features nearly 225 musicians, including David Bowie, Madonna, Donna Summer, The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, U2, Philip Glass, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Orbison, Janet Jackson, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, and many others from around the world. 


“Rock To Baroque” also includes commentary by acclaimed jazz critic Jon Garelick, W.C. Handy award-winning blues and rock writer Ted Drozdowski, Pulitzer Prize-winner Lloyd Schwartz, and rock writer Jim Sullivan. Three-time U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky contributed the book's prologue. 


To celebrate the launch of “Rock To Baroque,” Antoniou will showcase his photographs in a concurrent exhibition at Panopticon Gallery at the Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square, 502c Commonwealth Ave., from May 2 to June 30. The exhibition will be open to the public and pieces from the book - and the book itself- will be available for purchase.


“While attending NESOP, there was a freelance position available at The Boston Globe —an opportunity that became the catalyst for my career,” says Antoniou. “I thrived on the thrill of standing in front of the stage, capturing the city's best shows – positioned in front of the front row! On any given night, I could go from photographing Seiji Ozawa at Symphony Hall to shooting River Phoenix at “The Rat” [The Rathskeller]."


ABOUT ERIC ANTONIOU

He grew up in Kerasia, a mountainous village in central Greece near Lake Plastira, in a home surrounded by music on the radio and framed photographs hanging on the wall. Antoniou discovered his love for photography after receiving a point-and-shoot camera at age 13 and his first 35 mm at 16. 


After moving to Boston in 1983, he attended the University of Massachusetts, Boston, where he took his first photography class. Soon thereafter, he decided to make photography his profession and enrolled in the New England School of Photography (NESOP), where he graduated with honors.


His photos have been featured in People Magazine, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Dance Magazine, Downbeat Magazine, Surface Magazine, Metropolis, Men’s Journal, Boston Phoenix, among others. 


Some of the clients worked for Capitol Records, Boston Ballet, American Repertory Theatre, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory  and Boston Lyric Opera, and Harvard University. 


Additionally, his work has been showcased in solo exhibitions at  Out of the Blue Gallery in Cambridge, the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, and the Harriet Tubman House, as well as group exhibitions throughout Greater Boston including  Boston Public Library, University of Massachusetts, Laconia Gallery, NESOP, and Boston Center for the Arts.


Over the years, Antoniou has photographed music, dance, and theater, with a deep focus on Flamenco dance, inspired by time spent in Seville, Spain. He has also photographed important cultural and political moments, from the protests following the murder of George Floyd to presidential elections, and documenting the hardships associated with Boston’s homeless community.


“Eric Antoniou’s photographs transcend mere imagery. He penetrates deep into the souls of his subjects, inviting us to connect with their essence as though it were our own. Eric ushers us into the very heart of humanity, offering a rare glimpse into its inner sanctum. With ‘Rock to Baroque,’ Eric takes readers on a front-row journey through Boston's music history—capturing the energy, evolution, and unforgettable moments that shaped our city’s musical landscape,” said Boston radio icon Oedipus. 


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04/02/2025 09:00:00 06/30/2025 17:00:00 America/New_York Rock to Baroque: Four Decades of Music Photography - Panopticon Gallery Showing at the Hotel Commonwealth <p>This spring, renowned photographer <strong>Eric Antoniou</strong> will publish his first book, "<strong>Rock To Baroque: Four Decades of Music Photography</strong>.”&nbsp; The vast majority of <...

https://www.thebostoncalendar.com/events/rock-to-baroque-four-decades-of-music-photography-panopticon-gallery-showing-at-the-hotel-commonwealth Panopticon Gallery at the Hotel Commonwealth, Boston, MA 02215 false MM/DD/YYYY

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