Sir Anthony Hopkins signs recording contract and drops first single at 88

Published on 10/07/2026 - 9:46 GMT+2•Updated

9:55

He’s one of the greatest actors of his generation, has won numerous accolades for his work on stage and screen – including two Oscars - and happens to be a prolific painter.

Now, Sir Anthony Hopkins has made an impressive career move at the tender age of 88.

The acclaimed star of The Elephant Man, The Silence of the Lambs, The Remains of the Day and The Father has just signed a recording contract with Decca Classics to release a selection of orchestral works he has written over the past six decades.

“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.”

The upcoming album, titled ‘Life Is a Dream’, will be conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra. It has been teased by a first single, ‘Bracken Road’, released today.

“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.

Other pieces on the album include ‘My Fatherland’, inspired by traditional Welsh melodies, and compositions inspired by cinema, his wife and his niece.

“Signing with Decca is the honor of a lifetime,” added 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.”

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."

She added: "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."

This is not a total first for Hopkins, a self-taught composer who has been playing the piano since the age of four.

Famed Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu released an album in 2011 which included a waltz which Hopkins had composed in 1964.

In 2012, the actor released an album titled ‘Composer’, performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. That same year, Hopkins received a Classic Brit Award for Album of the Year, alongside classical stars Gareth Malone and the Military Wives, Nicola Benedetti and André Rieu, 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.

‘Life Is a Dream’ will be released on 21 August.