LONDON, July 10 — Silence Of The Lambs star Anthony Hopkins says he has fulfilled his “first desire” after signing a record deal as a composer, Bernama reported, citing PA Media/dpa.
The 88-year-old has signed with Decca Classics and will release his first album on the label next month. Titled Life Is A Dream, the album is a collection of pieces he has worked on over six decades.
The first single, Bracken Road, from 1947: Suite For Solo Piano And Orchestra, will be released on Friday.
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.
“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.”
Hopkins’ music is performed by Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel with the Philharmonia Orchestra, and reflects on his upbringing in Wales and his family.
The Port Talbot-born actor has composed music since childhood and began playing the piano at the age of four.
The first single, Bracken Road, is inspired by his childhood memories of Margam in south Wales, including the streets, meadows, farmland and mountains surrounding his family home in the 1940s. Hopkins composed the piece in 1963 while working as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse.
Decca president Laura Monks 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.
“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.”
Hopkins’ portrayal of cannibalistic killer Hannibal Lecter in The Silence Of The Lambs earned him the Academy Award for best actor in 1992.
He later reprised the role in the sequel Hannibal (2001) and the prequel Red Dragon (2002).
The actor won his second Oscar in 2020 for his performance in Florian Zeller’s The Father, which also starred Olivia Colman.
Life Is A Dream will be released on August 21.