A new album is due from Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli [ tickets ] later this month, and the artist is also scheduled to perform concerts in eight U.S. cities through New Year's Day.

The album is a pop release titled "Cieli Di Toscana," and is scheduled to reach stores in the U.S. on Oct. 16. Brian Rawling, Mark Taylor and Robin Smith--the team behind recent hits from Cher, Tina Turner and Enrique Iglesias--were among the producers.

Among the tracks on the album are "E Mi Manchi Tu" by Czech composer Zdenek Bartak and "Resta Qui" by Italian composer Matteo Musumecci. The songs were the winning entry and the runner-up, respectively, in a competition sponsored by Bocelli's publishing company to find a song written especially for the artist. More than 500 entries were received.

According to his label, Sugar/Polydor, Bocelli has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide since 1996. He is strong draw on the concert circuit as well, and--even though his ticket prices tend to be among the highest in the business--is able to regularly sell out performances at North American arenas.

Bocelli's U.S. concert schedule opens on Nov. 21 in San Diego, and concludes on Jan. 1 in Denver. Tickets for most shows are on sale now.

The singer is expected to open a tour of Latin America in March.