Raymond Curfs was born in the Netherlands and studied timpani and percussion in Maastricht, Cologne and Berlin. After engagements in the Noord Nederlands Orkest in Groningen, the Municipal Theatre in Bielefeld and the Radio Symphony Orchestra in Berlin, he became principal timpanist in the Bavarian State Orchestra in Munich in 1999.

In 2007, he got the same position in the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks. From 2000 to 2006 he also played in the Mahler Chamber Orchestra.

A close artistic friendship linked him with Claudio Abbado, on whose invitation he has served as a member of the Lucerne Festival Orchestra. Curfs teaches at the Munich Music Academy and has been regularly invited as tutor of the percussion section of the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester since 2015. He also makes regular appearances as a chamber musician and soloist.