Memorial to Anton Arensky

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Anton Arensky was a renowned Composer, Pianist, Conductor, born in Novgorod, Russia, who owed his early musical inclinations to amateur musician parents who enthusiastically encouraged him to pursue a career in the arts. In 1879, Arensky's family relocated to St. Petersburg so he could study with the esteemed Rimsky-Korsakov at its prestigious conservatory; by 1882, he had graduated with a gold medal and was immediately appointed as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, where he became the youngest member of the faculty. His notable students included Sergei Rachmaninov and Alexander Scriabin. Arensky served as conductor for Moscow's Russian Choral Society from 1888 to 1895 and director of the Imperial Chapel in St. Petersburg from 1895 to 1901 before embarking on a successful career as a touring pianist and conductor. His life was cut short by tuberculosis at the age of 44, a consequence of his dissolute lifestyle. Despite being largely overlooked due to perceived shortcomings in his individual style, Arensky's music has been rediscovered since the 1980s, with many of his compositions now considered essential components of the standard repertoire. The Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor (1894) and "Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky" for string orchestra have gained widespread recognition, while much of his output has been meticulously recorded. Arensky's other notable works include a Piano Concerto (1881), two symphonies (1883, 1889), a Violin Concerto (1891), two string quartets, and several suites for solo piano, such as the captivating Suite No. 2, "Silhouettes" (1892).