Philip’s passion for music began at an early age when he started studying piano with Jodi Tepp and his aunt Ludmila Kandiba at the age of five.  From nine years of age he was tutored in the Russian tradition of piano playing by Nora Kaplan, herself a former composition student of Khachaturian.

A native New Yorker from a Ukrainian family, Philip first immersed himself in opera during his time at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (also known as the ‘Fame’ school).   In his final year he conducted performances of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, collaborating with Gary Wedow, Andres Andrade and Jennifer Griesbach.
Upon graduation, he received the Julius Grossman Conducting Award. While at LaGuardia, Philip participated in master classes with Reri Grist, George Pappastavrou and Mordecai Shehori.

In 2002-3, Philip began his work experience at The Amato Opera Theatre as an assistant repetiteur and studied with Anthony Amato. Here he participated in performances of Madama Butterfly, Cavalleria Rusticana, I Pagliacci, Cosi fan tutte, Hänsel und Gretel, Die Zauberflöte, Andrea Chenier, Il barbiere di Siviglia, La traviata, and HMS Pinafore.

In 2005, Philip was Music Director for the newly formed  City Youth Opera Inc. (CYO).  Working alongside Andres Andrade and Jennifer Griesbach, they staged the inaugural production of La Serva Padrona by Pergolesi.  Philip has returned to work with CYO on many occasions, including the preparation for the production of Offenbach's Orpheus in the Underworld.

In the UK, Philip trained at two of London’s prestigious conservatoires. In 2007, Philip graduated from the Royal College of Music, London with a Bachelor of Music (with Honours). He studied piano with Ruth Nye. In many other electives, Philip received guidance from Nigel Clayton (accompaniment), David Ward & Simon Nicholls (Fortepiano) for which he received the Amadeus Fortepiano Prize, and Robert Woolley (Harpsichord). He has an extensive song and operatic repertoire and has worked with such coaches as Gerald Martin-Moore, Dr. Jeanette Favaro-Reuter, Louis Menendez, Jorge Parodi, Howard Watkins, Joan Dornemann, Ingrid Surgenor, Tina Ruta, Brenda Hurley, Massimiliano Murrali, Tomoko Okada, Mikhail Hallak, the late Patric Schmid, Audrey Hyland, and Roger Vignoles. From 2009-10 Philip was at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama on the Opera Repetiteur course where he was assistant conductor on the productions of Massenet’s Chérubin and Britten’s Albert Herring. At the Guildhall, Philip received an MMus with distinction. In 2010-11, Philip was Repetiteur Fellow at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Interested very much in vocal technique, Philip has accompanied classes for Neil Mackie CBE, Peter Savidge, Graeme Broadbent, Joseph Ward, Patricia MacMahon, Donald Maxwell, Mark Tucker, Roderick Earle, Russell Smythe, Sarah Walker, Ryland Davies, Timothy Evans-Jones, Elizabeth Ritchie, Della Jones, Dennis O’Neill, Nuccia Focile, Richard Bonynge, Elizabeth Robson, Marie McLaughlin, Sherrill Milnes, Maria Zouves, Patricia McCaffrey, Mark Schnaible, Inci Bashar, Neil Rosenshein and Maria Spacagna, Janice Chapman and Raymond Connell.

In 2008, Philip was on staff as a repetiteur with the Cardiff International Academy of Voice under Dennis O’Neill. While at the Academy, Philip worked with Cor Caerdydd, the Arts Festivals of Downpatrick, Northern Ireland and Opera Barga, Italy (with Massimilano Murrali on production of Il Signor Bruschino and Act III and IV of La Bohème) and Longborough Opera where he assisted Anthony Negus in the preparation for Wagner’s Das Rheingold. Also, Philip has performed at such venues as Gregynog, Llandaff Cathedral, Royal International Pavilion in Llangollen, Coed Coch, Royal Dublin Society and Brangwyn Hall.

Since then Philip’s opera and rehearsal credits include: Rehearsals of an all-Brahms concert with Robert Chilcott, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 and Bruckner’s Te Deum with Terry Edwards and Bernard Haitink. He also has been Repetiteur/Music Staff with Chelsea Opera Group on Belisario conducted by Richard Bonynge, Das Liebesverbot conducted by Anthony Negus, Stiffelio with Brad Cohen and Le roi de Lahore with Renato Balsadonna. Also, Opera Integra (Les contes d'Hoffmann, Ernani and Rigoletto), Pavilion Opera (Tosca), New Devon Opera (La Bohème and La Traviata) and Chorus Mundi (Nelson Mass). Philip has an extensive experience performing in several major cities of the world. Some major venues have included; in New York, the 92nd St. Y, Amato Opera Theatre, Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall. In Norway, Notterøy Kulturhus with opera group COSMOPOLITAN. In London, the Italian and South African Embassies, Royal College of Music Britten Theatre, including the Concert and Recital Halls, Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall and St. George Hanover Square. In Ireland, various venues in Wexford for the Wexford Festival, and in Scotland, working with Cantabile Artists Agency, halls in Musselburgh, Kilmarnock and Langholm. 

In 2012, Philip completed his repetiteur traineeship at the National Opera Studio, London, supported by The Leonard Hancock Memorial Trust Bursary.

Other projects Philip has been involved with have been, being on the musical team of the St John of Jerusalem Festival Chorus, along with John Andrews and WeiHsi Hu and music director of the Clapham Opera Festival.

As Music Director and Pianist, engagements have included Grimeborn Opera Festival productions  of Il Tabarro, Pélleas et Mélisande and Werther directed by Aylin Bozok, Talent Unlimited production of Suor Angelica, Hansel and Gretel, Orpheus and Euridice  and Macbeth with English Pocket Opera Company, directed by Mark Tinkler,  Orfeo ed Euridice with Scarlet Opera directed by David Monteith, the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Music Theatre Project and the Essential Scottish Opera Tour. With The Complete Singer, directed by Jenny Miller, Philip was Assistant Music Director on Die Zauberflöte with Lesley Anne Sammons. At Longborough Festival Opera in 2013, Philip joined the Music Staff for Der Ring des Nibelungen conducted by Anthony Negus and in 2014 was repetiteur on Opera Holland Park’s production of Turn of the Screw. In June-July 2015, was Repetiteur and Music Staff at Teatro Municipal de Santiago on The Rake’s Progress with David Syrus conducting. In the summer of 2016, Philip had the immense pleasure of working on Il trovatore at the Royal Opera as Chief Repetiteur under Gianandrea Noseda and Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master and Language Coach on a production of The Queen of Spades at Opera Holland Park as well as music staff at Opera North for its 2016/17 season.

For Buxton International Festival, Philip has worked with Stephen Barlow on both the 1847 version of Macbeth and Alzira, both directed by Elijah Moshinsky. For Opera North, Philip has been member of the music staff for both the 2017/18 and now the 2019/20 season. As well as continuing the wonderful work with Inspiration Choir Leeds, he will be Chief Repetiteur on Manon Lescaut with Opera Holland Park.

Philip is a Senior Lecturer at Leeds Conservatoire, a visiting coach and pianist at the Royal Northern College of Music and Leeds University.