Anthony Hopkins announces new classical album

Anthony Hopkins isn’t just an Oscar-winning actor — for decades, he’s been composing music in addition to his acting roles. The “Silence of the Lambs” actor has signed with Decca Classics for a new recording project encompassing more than six decades of original compositions.

Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, his “Life Is a Dream” album will be released on Aug. 21. The first single, “Bracken Road,” from Hopkin’s “1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra,” was released Friday. “Inspired by childhood memories of Margam, South Wales, it is a nostalgic musical portrait of the streets, meadows, farmland and mountains that surrounded his family home in the 1940s,” Decca said.

Hopkins, 88, has been playing piano since the age of 4; he started performing Beethoven and Chopin just a few years later and composed music for local plays as a teenager, the label said.

“Music was my first desire, my first wish,” Hopkins said in a statement. “I’ve been composing music all my life. Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them.”

Other pieces on the album include “My Fatherland,” inspired by traditional Welsh melodies, and compositions inspired by cinema, his wife and his niece. Hopkins, a self-taught composer, recieved a Classic Brit Award in 2012 for Album of the Year for his contribution to “And the Waltz Goes On.” He made his live musical performance debut in Saudi Arabia in 2025 with the “Life Is a Dream” concert played by Britain’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

“Signing with Decca is the honor of a lifetime,” said Hopkins, “It has been a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra and the virtuoso soloists, cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo. My deepest gratitude and respect go to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry is an integral part of this musical journey. With the graceful precision of his baton, he transformed each note with profound and indelible meaning, creating a pictorial landscape that invites the listener to feel and imagine something uniquely personal.”

Dudamel said, “Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of those rare artists whose creative voice transcends any single medium. The same depth of imagination, humanity, and emotional truth that has defined his extraordinary work on stage and screen is present in his music. Listening to his composition, I am struck by its beauty, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable sense of wonder that animates it. Anthony approaches music with the heart of a storyteller and the instincts of a poet, creating sound worlds that are both deeply personal and universally resonant. It has been a privilege to collaborate with him on this recording alongside my friends Gregorio Nieto, Sergio Tiempo, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and to help bring to life the musical voice of an artist whose creativity knows no boundaries.”

Laura Monks, president of Decca, said, “It is such a privilege to have the great Sir Anthony Hopkins join Decca Classics. His depth of talent and classical music knowledge, honed over a lifetime, is a joy to celebrate with this new album. Hearing his incredible compositions come to life at the recording sessions in London with Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra was a once in a lifetime experience that we are excited to bring to the world.”

-Variety