Cornell Macneil

Diagnoses

Personal

Vocation

American singer and opera star, he made his operatic debut in the world premiere of Menotti's "The Consul" in 1950. His reputation was elevated by his stellar performances in four of Verdi's operas and he is considered one of the finest baritones to ever sing at the Metropolitan Opera House. From 1959 to 1987 he sang 26 roles in over 600 performances at The Met. He was President of the Musical Artists Guild. The son of a dentist and an artist, he suffered from asthma until he was 20. The illness put a damper on his early aspirations to become a singer and it prevented him from serving in the military. But he continued to study singing and made his debut in Menottii's Pulitzer-Prize winning opera in Philadelphia in 1950. Three years later he made his New York debut. On March 5, 1959 he appeared for the first time at La Scala in Milan. Two weeks later, on March 21st, he signed a contract with New York's Metropolitan Opera. Married twice, he was the father of five children. MacNeil died on 15 July 2011 in Charlottesville, VA. He was 88. Link to Wikipedia biography