Oscar-winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins is set to add another milestone to his celebrated career with the release of his first album of original classical compositions. The 88-year-old has signed with Decca Classics for Life Is a Dream, which will be released on 21 August and features music he has written over the past six decades.
According to Deadline, the album’s first single, Bracken Road, has already been released. Hopkins said the nostalgic composition draws inspiration from his childhood in Margam, near Port Talbot in south Wales, reflecting the landscapes and memories that shaped his early life. Although he is best known for his acclaimed acting career, Hopkins has long described music as his first passion and said he has been composing since childhood.
“Music was my first desire, my first wish,” Hopkins said, adding that many of the compositions remained with him for decades before finally finding a place on a studio album.
The recording features the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Grammy Award-winning maestro Gustavo Dudamel, alongside pianist Sergio Tiempo and cellist Gregorio Nieto.
Several pieces on Life Is a Dream reflect Hopkins’ Welsh roots, including My Fatherland, which he said he wrote as a tribute to his humble beginnings. The collection also draws on memories of his family, childhood and the places that inspired him throughout his life.
While this is Hopkins’ first full album of original compositions with Decca Classics, music has long been an important part of his creative life. He has composed concert works over the years, and his waltz And the Waltz Goes On received its world premiere in 2011 by Dutch violinist André Rieu, highlighting a lifelong musical journey that has flourished alongside his distinguished acting career.
