Philip Kuttner began to play the piano at the age of five. He earned a BA in music theory and history at Harvard University. As music director of North Bay Opera and guest conductor at Berkeley and West Edge Opera, Kuttner has conducted over two dozen operas.

He wrote and edited supertitles for 17 years at the San Francisco Opera and served as assistant conductor for six productions there.

He is of German Jewish origin. His parents converted to Catholicism in 1933.