Legendary British actor Anthony Hopkins, 89, has signed an exclusive recording deal with Decca Classics as a composer and will release a new album, "Life Is a Dream," next month.
Hopkins announced the news Friday on his social media, writing, "My whole life feels like a dream," and calling the Decca deal "an honor I will never forget for the rest of my life."
"It was a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra and outstanding soloists — cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo," he said. "I express my deepest gratitude and admiration to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry was indispensable to this musical journey."
The album, his first release on Decca, was recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of Gustavo Dudamel. Caracas-born Argentine pianist Sergio Tiempo, Venezuelan cellist Gregorio Nieto, the Bach Choir and Winchester Cathedral Choir also took part.
The lead single, "Bracken Road," was inspired by Hopkins' childhood memories in Margam, in south Wales.
The piece evokes the houses, streets, meadows, farmland and mountains of his family's life in the 1940s. Hopkins first conceived the idea as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1953, improvising on stage before rehearsals.
Decca said on social media it was "thrilled to announce" the signing of "Academy Award-winning actor, composer and Welsh cultural icon Sir Anthony Hopkins," adding that "one of the defining artists of our time, Sir Anthony has built a dazzling career in film and theater, underpinned by a lifelong dedication to music."
The label also said the album presents "deeply personal original compositions that reflect his passion for classical music — a lifetime of creativity, imagination and storytelling."
Hopkins, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his roles in "The Silence of the Lambs" and "The Father," has spent his life not only as an actor but also as a musician who has composed throughout his career.
He began learning the piano at age 4 and was composing music for local theater productions as a teenager. He also composed the scores for "August" and "Slipstream," two films he produced himself.
ygmoon@heraldcorp.com
