Sir Anthony Hopkins, the acclaimed actor, is set to release his debut classical album, “Life Is a Dream,” on August 21, 2026. The album, issued through Decca Classics, will feature 12 new recordings of orchestral works, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.
While widely recognized for his acting career, Hopkins’ musical journey spans decades, with an initial ambition to become a musician. He began playing piano at age four and has been formally composing music for at least 30 years. Some of the pieces to be featured on the upcoming album date back as far as six decades, with his first composition, a waltz, written in 1960 when he was 22. In 1955, he applied to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, but an impromptu acting audition led him down a different path.
Hopkins’ compositions are shaped by a range of influences, including his Welsh upbringing, childhood memories, and traditional Welsh melodies. He also draws inspiration from notable composers such as Vaughan Williams, Frederick Delius, Rachmaninoff, and Debussy.
His musical output predates this major release, including the single “Distant Star” in 1986 and scores for films like “Shadowlands” (1993), “August” (1996), “Slipstream” (2007), and “Elyse” (2020). His waltz, “And the Waltz Goes On,” composed in the early 1960s, gained significant recognition when performed by André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra in 2011–2012, which led to an album release by Rieu. Hopkins has also released two prior classical albums, “Composer” in January 2012 and “Eternal” in 2022. More recently, in January 2025, his compositions were performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra during a gala concert he hosted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Reflecting on his deep connection to music, Hopkins has stated, “Music was my first desire, my first wish.” He further noted, “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.” Comparing the two disciplines, Hopkins remarked, “I find more freedom with music,” describing acting as “a discipline” while music is “a freewheeling kind of art form.” Despite his long history with composition, he has admitted to experiencing impostor syndrome, saying, “There’s a part of me which says, ‘You didn’t write that,’ … What’s it called? Impostor syndrome.” He views music as profoundly emotional, stating, “All music is actually based in pain. Sounds pretty preposterous, but it is. It’s about the yearning.”
The upcoming album “Life Is a Dream” thus represents a significant milestone, bringing together works from a lifetime devoted to musical creation, demonstrating Hopkins’ enduring passion for composition.