Sir Anthony Hopkins will release his first album of original classical compositions on August 21, marking the latest chapter in a musical career that has largely remained in the background during more than six decades as one of the world’s best-known actors.
The two-time Academy Award winner has signed with Decca Classics for the release of Life Is A Dream, a collection of original works recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel.
The album brings together compositions written across different periods of Hopkins’ life, many inspired by his childhood in Wales, family memories and personal experiences. Although widely recognised for his work on screen and stage, Hopkins has composed music for decades, describing it as his “first desire” long before acting became his profession.
“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,” Hopkins said in a statement announcing the release.
The first single, Bracken Road, was released on Friday. Originally conceived in 1963 while Hopkins was a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse, the work later became part of 1947 Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra. According to Decca Classics, the piece reflects memories of the landscape surrounding his childhood home in Margam, South Wales.
The recording also features Venezuelan cellist Gregorio Nieto, Argentine pianist Sergio Tiempo, The Bach Choir and the Choristers of Winchester Cathedral.
Dudamel described Hopkins as “one of those rare artists whose creative voice transcends any single medium,” adding that the actor approaches composition “with the heart of a storyteller and the instincts of a poet.”
For Hopkins, the project represents the culmination of a lifelong musical ambition.
“My whole life is a dream. Signing with Decca is the honour of a lifetime,” he said, thanking Dudamel, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the participating soloists for bringing the music to life.
While this is Hopkins’ first album for Decca Classics, it is not his first public venture into classical composition. His waltz And The Waltz Goes On attracted international attention after being recorded by André Rieu in 2011, and earlier this year selections from Life Is A Dream were performed in concert by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Saudi Arabia.
The album will be released worldwide on 21 August 2026.
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