Kottick gives the outline facts of his life thus: I was born in Jersey City, NJ, in 1930, and was brought up in Brooklyn, NY, where I studied the trombone [REF].
In his years since retiring Kottick has been active as a scholar, a builder of harpsichords, and as a performing musician; he is currently (2015) the music director of the Old Capitol Opera in Iowa City and conducts musical theater and opera [REF].