Like cheese, classical music is best enjoyed when in string form. Snack on the sounds of cultured compositions with today’s GrouponLive deal to see the Mariinsky Orchestra with Maestro Valery Gergiev at the National Arts Centre on Sunday, October 23, at 2 p.m. Choose between the following options:

• For $49, you get one orchestra seat in rows A–T or one mezzanine seat in rows A–C (a $101.50 value).
• For $59, you get one orchestra seat in rows EE–GG (a $121.50 value).
  
  

Charismatic conductor Valery Gergiev teams up with the Mariinsky Orchestra to mark his return to Ottawa with a stirring performance of Tchaikovsky’s two best-loved pieces—Symphony no. 1, Winter Dreams, and Symphony no. 6, Pathétique. Distinguished as one of Russia’s oldest musical institutions, the Mariinsky Orchestra’s classical wisdom gleans more than 227 seasons to captivate audiences with tonal precision and first-hand anecdotes of czarist Russia. Artistic and general director Valery Gergiev has lifted his string and brass charges to new heights in the last several decades, solidifying their place as what the Chicago Tribune once called “the world’s first global orchestra.” Tchaikovsky’s mesmerizing first and sixth symphonies showcase musicians’ talents as audience members lose themselves to the intricately layered melodies and the smells of beef stroganoff simmering in the tuba.

As one of the world’s largest multidisciplinary and bilingual performing-arts centres, the National Arts Centre holds an international appeal that makes its orchestral visitors feel at home under the glare of its Southam Hall spotlights. Visitors seated in the orchestra and mezzanine sections can effortlessly catch the criss-crossing sound waves or can converse about the origins of marzipan with the Russian dignitaries seated beside them.