The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra

Artistic Director & Conductor  
Arkady Leytush: One of Russia’s most gifted conductors, Leytush has directed orchestras in Europe and the United States to great acclaim. Critics have described him as a conductor in the Grand Russian Tradition” and his dynamic interpretations have made him an audience favorite. Leytush’s artistry is known throughout the former Soviet Union, but it was not until 1994 that he gained recognition in the United States when he, on a week’s notice, made a stunning debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, replacing Yuri Temirkanov.

Since 1980 Leytush has worked with a wide variety of Orchestras  including Novosibirsk Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre (Russia), New World Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, New York Chamber Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra,  Orquestra Filarmonic De Buenos Aires, Orquestra Nacional Do Porto, Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic Academic Symphony Orchestra, Plovdiv Philharmonic, Kremlin Orchestra. Sofia and Varna Philharmonic Orchestra.

Mr. Leytush is conductor of New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of National Orchestra of Ukraine, Music Director of Interfaith Committee of Remembrance and Music Director of Nathan Rakhlin International Festival in Yalta (Ukraine).

Arkady Leytush is also a Professor of Conducting and Orchestra Class at Long Island Conservatory.

Arkady Leytush made numerous transcriptions and orchestrations of music by composers such as Bach, Buxtehude, Mussorgsky, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, Albeniz, Sisler, Czerny, Guastavino, Shostakovich, Borodin, Liadov, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov, Glazunov,  Dargomyzhski, Artsibushev, Sokolov, Mayer.

Artistic Advisor & Assistant Conductor
Edmund A. Moderacki serves as Artistic Advisor and Assistant Conductor of the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Moderacki graduated with honors from Montclair State College. He holds a MA from Hunter College (CUNY) and has done additional studies at Seton Hall University, Newark State College and the Center for Understanding Media. He is currently a music teacher in the River Vale (NJ) Schools, and has been conductor of the Waldwick Concert Band since 1978. Active in education and the arts, Mr. Moderacki is president-elect of the Music Educators of Bergen County, Inc., serves as a member of the Steering Committee of Bergen County Teen Arts and sits on the boards of several arts and education organizations. He was also the conductor of the 2001 All Bergen County High School Band and RSO Project Symphony 2003 at River Vale, Riverdale, and Wayne.