Grammy Award winner conductor Riccardo Muti is expected in Nairobi tomorrow morning to headline a concert at Uhuru Park the same day. Riccardo will direct a symphony comprising 200 members of the Orchestra Cherubini and Kenyan musicians in a music collaboration project dubbed The Roads of Friendship.

The 69-year-old, who took over as music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last year, was awarded two of the top prizes in the Grammy's classical music category at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. The maestro's recording of Verdi's Requiem, with the Chicago Symphony and choir, won the prizes for best classical album as well as best choral performance.

Organised under the Ravenna Festival banner, the music showcase aims at developing classical music in Kenya as well as to promote education in Kibera. Roads of Friendship has dedicated part of the proceeds to fund educational scholarships which will be given to Italian missions which will be funded through a special committee based in Italy.

The Ravenna Festival is an opera and classical music concert held in Italy annually in the months of July and August. Maria Christina Muti, the wife of the legendary conductor Riccardo, organises it. Integrated telecoms provider Safaricom sponsors the event.