At 88, Anthony Hopkins Fulfills Lifelong Dream with Debut Album as Composer

Anthony Hopkins has signed with Decca Classics to release his first official album of original compositions, a landmark validation of a passion he has pursued since childhood. The Oscar-winning actor’s debut single, “Bracken Road,” was released on Friday, with the full album “Life Is a Dream” set to arrive on August 21, according to Variety.

VarietyAnthony Hopkins Signs With Decca Classics for Album of Original Compositions

The album, which spans compositions Hopkins has written over six decades, represents the fulfillment of what he calls his first creative calling. The Guardian reported that Hopkins said “Music was my first desire,” adding that he has been composing all his life. The record deal marks a shift from acting to a medium he has quietly pursued for years.

The Guardian‘Music was my first desire’: Anthony Hopkins releases his debut single

Hopkins’ musical roots run deep. Rolling Stone noted that he has played piano since the age of four and began composing for local plays as a teenager. The pieces on “Life Is a Dream” draw on that long history, with the single “Bracken Road” taken from his “1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra” and inspired by childhood memories of Margam, South Wales.

Rolling StoneAnthony Hopkins, 88, Signs with Decca Classics to Release Album of Original Compositions

The album is conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra, as reported by Variety. At 88, Hopkins is achieving a goal that predates his Hollywood fame, cementing a parallel career as a composer that he has nurtured in private for decades.