Anna Burford studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. Operatic engagements in Europe have included Roswita in Héloïse et Abélard with Opéra National du Rhin and the Châtelet, Paris, Olga in Eugene Onegin at Théâtre de Caen, Mrs McLean in Susannah and Mrs Nolan in The Medium at the Wexford Festival.

She made her American operatic début as Cesare (Giulio Cesare) for the Seattle Opera in 2007. She made her début for Covent Garden singing Schwertleite in Die Walküre and returned to sing in Elektra and as The Girl in Mahagonny. She has sung Cesare for Glyndebourne Festival Opera and Magdalena in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg for Welsh National Opera.