Anja Kampe began her studies in Dresden at the Carl Maria von Weber Academy of Music and then moved to Italy, where she completed her studies at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory in Torino. She won numerous competitions, including the G.B. Viotti prize of Vercelli and the Audience Award at the Third International Competition for Wagner-Voices in Saarbrücken. A variety of productions led her to Italy, France and Israel, for example, as Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro at the Festival Ferrara Musica under the musical direction of Claudio Abbado, and as Fiorilla in Rossini's Il Turco in Italia at the Opéra in Metz, the Theatre of Rennes and the Opéra in Nantes. She further sang the parts of the Baroness Eugenia in Paisiello's La Molinara at the Teatro Comunale of Bologna and the Teatro Comunale of Piacenza, Donna Elvira in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Teatro La Fenice of Venice and Ännchen in Weber's Der Freischütz under the direction of Gary Bertini at the New Israeli Opera of Tel Aviv.

In 1997 she appeared as Zerlina in Mozart's Don Giovanni at the Opéra in Metz, and won the competition for an acceptance at the Opera Studio at La Scala in Milan. There she covered for the parts of Ännchen in Weber's Die Freischütz as well as for Wellgunde and the Second Norn in Götterdämmerung, and she sang small roles in Armide by Gluck, under the direction of Riccardo Muti, and in Strauss' Die Frau ohne Schatten under the direction of Giuseppe Sinopoli, as well as Javotte in Manon Lescaut under the direction of Gary Bertini. At La Scala she sang Marchesa in Un Giorno di Regno, and in 2002 she appeared as Leonora in Verdi's Oberto. In the same production, she also could be heard at the Carlo Felice in Geneva. In the summer of 2002 Anja Kampe gave her German debut in Bayreuth as Freia in Das Rheingold and as Gerhilde in Die Walküre. In 2003 followed her debut as Eva in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Essen. In November 2003 she made her celebrated debut as Sieglinde performing opposite Plácido Domingo in Washington. In March 2004 she debuted as Anna in Hans Heiling in Strasbourg.

In autumn 2004 the artist debuted in Antwerpen as Jenufa, in February 2005 as Elsa in Trieste and in summer 2005 as Odabella in Attila at the Antiken-Festspiele in Trier (Germany). She had huge success as Senta in the new production of Der fliegende Holländer in Brussels and debuted with the same part at the Bayerische Staatsoper Munich in March 2006 produced by Peter Konwitschny. In July of the same year her debut as Leonore in Fidelio took place at the Glyndebourne Festival. Further debuts followed: In autumn 2006 she sang for the first time Ariadne at the Teatro Real in Madrid. In 2007 Anja Kampe made her Japanese debut in Tokyo with Senta at the New National Theatre, she sang Sieglinde once again with Plácido Domingo in Washington and made her successful LA Opera debut as Leonore in Fidelio in September 2007. She could also be heard in Washington as Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni, conducted by Plácido Domingo.

In 2008 she performed Lisa in The Queen of Spades at the Frankfurt Opera, Leonore (Fidelio) on a European tour with Claudio Abbado and in Strassbourg as well as Giorgetta in Il Tabarro in Los Angeles. Scheduled for 2009 are Ariadne at the Bayerische Staatsoper and Sieglinde in a new production of Die Walküre at L.A. Opera. She is Senta in the new production of Der fliegende Holländer at the Royal Opera House in London, and will sing the part also in Munich and Madrid. In 2009 she will make her debut as Isolde at the Glyndebourne Festival. 2010 she will be singing Elisabeth in Tannhäuser at the Wiener Staatsoper, Fidelio in Munich as well as Carlotta in the U.S. premiere of Franz Schreker`s Die Gezeichneten at LA Opera.