Metropolitan Opera baritone Cornell MacNeil will receive the Voce d'Oro Lifetime Achievement Medallion from the Baltimore Opera in June, after he serves on the judges' panel for the opera's 33rd vocal competition.

MacNeil is known as a Verdi baritone, with a wide range and the striking top notes necessary for dramatic roles such as Rigoletto and Macbeth He is also known for his Baron Scarpia, the villain in Puccini's "Tosca." He has sung at the Met since 1959.

Other judges for the competition are conductor Christian Badea and soprano Licia Albanese, a previous Voce d'Oro medalist.

The contest -- whose finals will be held at 7: 30 p.m. June 6 in Peabody Conservatory of Music's Friedberg Concert Hall -- awards membership in the Baltimore Opera Studio, a program that offers coaching and performance opportunities for young singers.

Pub Date: 5/12/98