Anton Stepanovich Arensky (1861-1906) was a Russian composer, pianist, and professor of music during the Romantic era. Born in Novgorod, Russia, into a musically inclined family, Arensky showed early talent, composing songs and piano pieces by age nine. In 1879, he moved with his family to Saint Petersburg, where he studied composition under Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. He graduated in 1882 with a Gold Medal in piano and composition.

Arensky began his teaching career at the Moscow Conservatory at just twenty-one, where he taught composition, harmony, and instrumentation. Among his notable students were Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Scriabin, and Alexander Gretchaninov. Despite his pedagogical success, Arensky had a strained relationship with Scriabin, refusing to award him a Gold Medal at graduation.

In 1895, Arensky returned to Saint Petersburg as the director of the Imperial Choir, a position recommended by Mily Balakirev. He retired from this role in 1901 and spent his remaining years as a pianist, conductor, and composer. Arensky's compositions were heavily influenced by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, though he was also initially influenced by Rimsky-Korsakov. His music, often criticized for lacking a distinctive personal style, has been described as melodious but sometimes "too pretty."

Arensky's works include operas, symphonic pieces, and chamber music, with his chamber music being particularly esteemed. His "Variations on a Theme of Tchaikovsky" for string orchestra remains one of his most popular works. Despite his talents, Arensky's life was marred by personal struggles, including alleged issues with drinking and gambling, which contributed to his early death from tuberculosis at the age of 44 in Terijoki, Finland. He was buried in the Tikhvin Cemetery, and the Antarctic Arensky Glacier was named in his honor.