Krassimir Kyurkchiyski graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1962 majoring in Composition under Professor Pancho Vladigerov. He specialised at the Moscow Conservatoire with Dmitri Shostakovich. He worked as a conductor at the Ensemble for Traditional Song and Dance (the present-day Philip Koutev National Folklore Ensemble) and at the ensemble for traditional song at the Television and Radio Committee. Later he works as a freelancer and lives in Bozhentzi, district of Gabrovo.

He composed two operas and a ballet; vocal-instrumental works; orchestral and chamber music; choral songs; instrumental pieces; film music. He arranged folksongs, too.

In 1966 he won the Grand Prix of the Paris Music Weeks Composition Competition. Very popular are his works for symphony orchestra such as Diaphonic Study, Concerto for orchestra, Variation on a theme by Haendel, Adagio and Aria for string orchestra, Piano Concerto 1.

He made a name for himself as innovative folksong arrangement writer, too. His folksong arrangements are now part of the repertoire of Bulgarian and foreign performers. His works were performed in Italy, France, Russia, Germany, Australia and other countries.

Stage works:
Operas:
Yula, libretto by Petar Filchev (premiered in Stara Zagora, 1969);
A Votre Sante, libretto by Milen Paunov (premiered in Sofia, 1986).

Ballet:
The Goat Horn, libretto by Milen Paunov (premiered in Sofia, 1980).

Choral-orchestral works:
Story about the Ladder for three readers, mixed choir and symphony orchestra;
Ballad about Paisii – cantata for mixed choir and symphony orchestra.

For symphony orchestra:
Symphony-Requiem (1966);
Diaphonic Study (1971);
Concerto for orchestra (1976);
Variations on a theme by Haendel (1984);
A Shopp in Spain (1999);
Rhapsody (2001).
Symphony concertante for violoncello and orchestra.

Concertos for:
piano (1985), 2 (1999); for violin (1999).

For wind orchestra:
Shopp Dance (orchestrated by Nikolay Bratanov) (1985).

For string orchestra:
Adagio (1959); Aria (1978); Eight Pieces (1983).

Chamber Music:
String Quartet (1959); Trio for violin, clarinet and piano; Shopp Dance for five flutes (1985).

Sonatas for:
piano; violoncello and piano on a theme by Hindemith (1961); violin and piano (1962).

Folksong arrangements:
Kalimanku, Denku; Pilentze pee (A Bird Is Singing); Zableyalo mi agantze (The Bleating Lambkin); Bojur Kalinki dumashe (Bojur Spoke te Kalinka); Zamraknala tanka Yana (Beautiful Yana Was Overtaken by Nightfall); Mesechinko lyo; Lepa Yana (Beautiful Yana), etc.

Film music:
Freedom or Death, directed by N. Korabov (1968);
A Tree without Roots, directed by H. Hristov (1974);
The Apostles, directed by B. Sharaliev (1975);
Chronicle of Bulgarian Uprisings, directed by B. Sharaliev (13-series TV movie; 1976-81).