<P> Back in Italy in Bologna on 27 September, he sang at the International Eucharistic Congress . On 19 October, he sang at the TeleFood benefit concert held in the Vatican City to raise awareness about world hunger . On 25 October, he received a Bambi Award in the Klassik category in Cologne, Germany . </P> <P> Bocelli made his debut in a major operatic role in 1998 when he played Rodolfo in a production of La bohème at the Teatro Comunale in Cagliari from 18 to 25 February . His fifth album Aria: The Opera Album was released in March . </P> <P> On 19 April, Bocelli made his United States debut with a concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., followed the next day by a reception at the White House with then US President Bill Clinton . On 5 May, he appeared in Monte Carlo, winning two World Music Awards, one in the category "Best Italian Singer", and one for "Best Classical Interpretation". He was also named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People of 1998 . </P> <P> From June to August, he toured North and South America . In September, he received his second Echo Klassik award, this time for Best Selling Classical Album with Aria: The Opera Album . On Thanksgiving Eve, Bocelli was a guest on Céline Dion's television special These Are Special Times in which he joined Dion to sing "The Prayer" and he also sang "Ave Maria" solo . The duet was included on Dion's album These Are Special Times (1998) and was re-issued with the DVD of the TV special in 2007 . The song also appeared on the Quest for Camelot soundtrack in 1998 and on Bocelli's album, Sogno, the following year . </P>

Who is the opera singer that is blind