Sir Anthony Hopkins to release album inspired by Welsh childhood
Nation.Cymru Staff
Sir Anthony Hopkins is set to release a new album of original classical compositions, including several pieces inspired by his childhood in south Wales.
Though celebrated for his acting, the Port Talbot-born performer is a self-taught composer and began playing the piano at the age of four and was performing Beethoven and Chopin just a few years later.
He started improvising as young as six years old, and was composing music for local plays as a teenager in the 1950s. In 2012, he received a Classic Brit Award for Album of the Year for his contribution to And the Waltz Goes On.
Since then, Sir Anthony has increasingly shared his music with audiences around the world, performing his original compositions with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Saudi Arabia in 2025 in the gala concert, Life Is a Dream.
On Friday 10 July, Sir Anthony signed to Decca Classics as a composer, and will release his first album, a 12-track election of orchestral works written across more than six decades, due to be released on 21 August 2026.
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The first single from Life is a Dream, titled ‘Bracken Road’ from Sir Anthony’s 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra, is available to stream now.
Inspired by childhood memories of Margam, south Wales, it is intended as a nostalgic musical portrait of the streets, meadows, farmland and mountains that surrounded his family home in the 1940s.
Originally conceived as a song while Hopkins was a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse in 1963, the melody emerged during mornings improvising at an upright piano backstage before rehearsals.
Though influenced by the Harry James Orchestra and Jackie Gleason’s orchestral ballads, the orchestration pays tribute to the slow movement of Elgar’s First Symphony.
“Music was my first desire, my first wish,” explained Sir Anthony. “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.”
As such, the album features works written across different periods of Hopkins’ life, with songs shaped by loved-ones, imagination, and heritage.
Several pieces draw directly on his Welsh upbringing and the landscapes of his boyhood, while others reflect important people and experiences that have accompanied him over the years.
In particular My Fatherland is inspired by traditional Welsh melodies and an enduring connection to Wales. Sir Anthony said of the piece it was to “honour my humble beginnings. I am the son of my father, the baker.”
Other compositions on the album draw on memories of Port Talbot, childhood visits with his grandfather, the cinema that first caught his imagination, Stella Aria for his beloved wife, and Tara for his niece.
Bracken Road and Sir Anthony’s other compositions are performed by Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra.
Sir Anthony explained: “It has been a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra, and the captivating soloists Gregorio Nieto and 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.”
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Gustavo Dudamel added: “Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of those rare artists whose creative voice transcends any single medium. The same depth of imagination, humanity, and emotional truth that has defined his extraordinary work on stage and screen is present in his music.
“Listening to his composition, I am struck by its beauty, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable sense of wonder that animates it. Anthony approaches music with the heart of a storyteller and the instincts of a poet, creating sound worlds that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.
“It has been a privilege to collaborate with him on this recording alongside my friends Gregorio Nieto, Sergio Tiempo, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, and to help bring to life the musical voice of an artist whose creativity knows no boundaries.”
President of Decca, 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.”
Alongside Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia, the recording features pianist Sergio Tiempo, cellist Gregorio Nieto, The Bach Choir and the Boy Choristers of Winchester Cathedral. The album was recorded at Alexandra Palace, London in April 2026.
Tracklisting:
1. Fanfare and March
2. Farewell My Love
3. And The Waltz Goes On
4. My Fatherland
5. Margam
6. 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra: I. Circus
7. 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra: II. Bracken Road
8. 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra: III. The Plaza
9. Stella Aria
10. Tara
11. Two Pieces for Orchestra: I. The Eagle
12. Two Pieces for Orchestra: II. Samara
RECORDING SESSION PHOTOS HERE (credit Charlie Gray)
‘LIFE IS A DREAM’ IS RELEASED 21ST AUGUST 2026 ON DECCA CLASSICS
NOTES TO EDITORS:
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