Born in Hohndorf, Saxony, Kurzbach came from a humble background and became involved early on among others as a leader of workers' choirs in the labour movement.
Kurzbach re-entered the teaching profession and was, among other things, head of the Karl-Marx-Stadt Folk Music School.
[4] Decisive for Kurzbach's musical language were impulses from Carl Orff and Hanns Eisler.
Orff's influence can be seen above all in a differentiated, complex rhythm, a sound described as rough, hard or pithy and a preference for clear structures.
Although Kurzbach was not categorically opposed to musical innovations, he was of the opinion that comprehensibility and the relationship to the listener had to be given top priority.