Once in awhile, a talent arrives on the world stage and is embraced by the masses. Tenor Andrea Bocelli is an artist who joins the ranks of such timeless personalities as Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra. This week, the singer acclaimed for both classical and popular music comes to Verizon Center with a holiday program guaranteed to cheer. Bocelli has soared to the top of charts worldwide in the past 20 years. Along the way, he has worked with Luciano Pavarotti and the latter’s two colleagues, Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras. Conductor Zubin Mehta was impressed by his complete control from forte to pianissimo. Renee Fleming praised his voice’s beauty and Lorin Maazel, conductor of his classical album “Sentimento,” lauded his tessitura and ability to tap both high and low registers with ease. Bocelli became so close to Pavarotti that he sang at his friend’s wedding and funeral.

His success belies the fact that he became blind at age 12. Undeterred, he pursued his love of singing. His debut album, “Il Mare Calmo della Sera,” took off, going platinum. His second album, simply titled “Bocelli,” was also a smash hit. Today, he is the biggest-selling solo artist in the history of classical music. But he has also crossed over into popular music with success.