Key Takeaways
- Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins, 88, releases his first classical music single.
- The album 'Life is a Dream' features orchestral works written over six decades.
- Hopkins learned to play piano at four and composed for local plays in the 1950s.
Oscar-winning actor Anthony Hopkins has taken his talents beyond acting with the release of his first classical music single, 'Bracken Road', as part of his upcoming album 'Life is a Dream'. The 88-year-old Welsh-born actor signed a record deal with Decca Classics to explore his lifelong passion for composing.
In a statement, Hopkins shared that music was always his first desire and that he has been composing throughout his life. 'Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them,' he said, highlighting the emotional depth and storytelling in his new compositions.
'Life is a Dream', set for release on August 21, includes works inspired by Hopkins' childhood, loved ones, and his native south Wales. The album features performances by Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra, with contributions from cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo.
Hopkins, who won Academy Awards for his roles in 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Father', began learning to play the piano at the age of four. He went on to compose music for local plays as a teenager in the 1950s, including the track 'Bracken Road', which he wrote in 1963 while working at the Liverpool Playhouse theatre.
The album also includes pieces inspired by his fatherland, such as 'My Fatherland', and other works that draw on his early cinematic experiences. Hopkins expressed gratitude to Maestro Dudamel for transforming each note with profound meaning, creating a musical journey that invites listeners to feel and imagine something uniquely personal.
Decca Classics highlighted the emotional depth and storytelling in Hopkins' compositions, noting that they share the same qualities as his screen performances. 'Life is a Dream' showcases a composer whose music reveals the same emotional resonance and narrative power that define his acting career.
'Music was my first desire, my first wish,' Hopkins said in a statement.
Anthony Hopkins, Actor
'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,' Hopkins said.
