Legendary actor Sir Anthony Hopkins has surprised fans by announcing a major new creative venture.
The 88-year-old has spent more than six decades establishing himself as one of Hollywood’s most accomplished performers.
Now, Hopkins is turning his attention to another lifelong passion, classical music.
Anthony Hopkins Announces Classical Music Album
The two-time Academy Award winner is preparing to launch a new chapter as a classical composer.
Hopkins has signed with record label Decca Classics and already has his first album scheduled for release.
Life Is a Dream, a collection featuring compositions written across several decades, will arrive on August 21.
“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 12-track album is currently available to pre-order through the Decca Classics website.
Its first single, “Bracken Road,” taken from Hopkins’ “1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra,” was released on Friday.
Hopkins first composed the piece in 1963 while working as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse.
Album Described as an “Intimate Musical Memoir”
In its album description, Decca Classics states that Hopkins has “long nurtured a deep passion for music and composition.”
The label describes the project as his “most personal” work to date, drawing inspiration from his family, his Welsh roots, and “a lifetime of experience.”
The album has also been billed as an “intimate musical memoir,” with its tracks reflecting Hopkins’ upbringing, extraordinary career, and the people who have shaped his life.
Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the Philharmonia Orchestra throughout the recording.
“My deepest gratitude and respect go to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry is an integral part of this musical journey,” Hopkins said, via the BBC.
“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.”
Fans can purchase the album in several formats, including CD and vinyl, with a signed art card edition also available.
Credit: Source link