Moreno Fruzzetti has been awarded with the honor of “Ambassador of Italian Music to America.” A native of Pisa, Italy, Fruzzetti’s repertoire includes Italian and American ballads, arias, Italian pop, and classic Italian favorites.

This is the first of five concerts in the latest season of Cultural Arts Series events. The remainder of the 2005 Cultural Arts Series is as follows: Feb. 9, Tony & Donna Buonauro; March 10, “Two Divas and a Tenor;” April 13, Bobby Byrne; and May 12, Pheobe Fennell.

The concerts will be held at the civic plaza except for the Feb. 9 and April 13 shows, which will be held at Brick Township High School, Chambers Bridge Road. Admission to all performances is free.

The Cultural Arts Series began as the Cabaret Series in 1999.

Admission to the Cultural Arts Series concerts is free, but tickets are required. To obtain tickets, contact the Office of Special Events at (732) 262-1006. In the event that ticket demand exceeds seating limits, a lottery will be held to disperse tickets.

For more information on the Cultural Arts Series, call Alan Cohen, special events coordinator, at (732) 262-1006.