Anton Arensky
His father Hendrik van Gilse van der Pals, from a merchant family of Rotterdam, was a rubbermanufacturer and honorary consul for the Netherlands in St Petersburg until he (temporarily) settled on his estates in Finland because of the Russian revolution. The wealthy industrialist household of his parents participated actively in the musical life of St Petersburg. At their 'palace' they organised concerts with composer Anton Arensky and pianist and conductor Willem Mengelberg. At an early age Van der Pals met people like Gustav Mahler und Alexander Glazunov.