Rockwell has written for the Times since 1972, serving as rock critic, classical music critic, and European cultural correspondent. He left to direct the newly created Lincoln Center Festival in 1994, but returned four years later to edit the Sunday Arts and Leisure section.

In 2002, in one of a series of controversial changes made by then executive editor Howell Raines, Rockwell was removed as Arts and Leisure editor and named senior cultural correspondent. In that position, he has written features and a wide-ranging Sunday arts column titled "Reverberations."

According to the Times, Rockwell has studied dance with chorographer and teacher Anna Halprin.