Anthony Hopkins achieves lifelong dream with record deal
Hollywood actor Anthony Hopkins, 88, has signed a recording deal with Decca Classics, marking his debut as a musician. His first single, 'Bracken Road', was released on Friday, with the full album 'Life Is a Dream' set to follow on August 21.
Hopkins, known for his Oscar-winning roles in 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Father', has composed music since childhood. He began playing the piano at age four and has been creating pieces for over six decades.
Inspiration from Welsh childhood
'Bracken Road' draws on Hopkins' childhood memories of Margam in south Wales, including the streets, meadows, farmland, and mountains near his family home in the 1940s. The album includes another track, 'My Fatherland', which he wrote to honour his humble beginnings, stating, 'I am the son of my father, the baker.'
Other compositions reflect memories of Port Talbot, childhood visits to his grandfather, the cinema that sparked his imagination, and people close to him.
Collaboration with renowned musicians
The album features performances by the Grammy-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra, along with soloists cellist Gregorio Nieto and pianist Sergio Tiempo. Hopkins expressed deep gratitude for the collaboration, noting that Dudamel's artistry transformed each note into 'a pictorial landscape that invites the listener to feel and imagine something uniquely personal.'
Hopkins said, 'Music was my first desire, my first wish. 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. My whole life is a dream. Signing with Decca is the honour of a lifetime.'
Laura Monks, president of Decca, commented, '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.'
