After graduating from the Music High School of the Faculty of Music of Tokyo University of the Arts, Masao Kitsutaka took his undergraduate degree from the University with top honors.
He has won prizes at international competitions, including first prize at the 65th Music Competition of Japan, first prize at the International Piano Competition of Ile-de-France, and third prize at the Robert William and Florence Amy Brant International Pianoforte Competition (Birmingham, UK).
As a scholarship recipient of the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists in 2001, he entered the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève and received the soloist diploma. He furthered his studies at the Early Music department of the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Paris, where he specialized in fortepiano and graduated with highest honors by unanimous decision of the judges.
He studied piano under Katsumi Dairaku, Katsumi Ueda, Klaus Schilde and Dominique Merlet, and fortepiano under Patrick Cohen. He has appeared on TV and radio, such as Mezzo (European Cable TV), Piano Pia, Super Piano Lesson (NHK), and Meikyoku Recital (NHK-FM).
He has performed with many orchestras including the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and the New Japan Philharmonic.
In addition to his performance activities, he is adjunct professor at Ferris University and at Musashino Academia Musicae.