Born in 1969, in Hemer, Germany, he studied conducting and composition at the High School of Arts in Berlin notably with Friedrich Goldmann and Gösta Neuwirth. Additionally, he studied sound synthesis and algorithmic composition at the Technische Universität Berlin and ZKM Karlsruhe. 

In 1992, 1995, and 1998 Enno Poppe received a scholarship for composition by the Senate of Berlin and in 1994, a music scholarship from the Märkische Kulturkonferenz. In 1998 he won the Boris Blacher Award for his Gelöschte Lieder. In 1999 he was invited to the Boswil composers’ seminar; in 2001 he received a scholarship from the Wilfried Steinbrenner Foundation. In the same year he was awarded the Composition Prize of the city of Stuttgart for his work Knochen. Enno Poppe also received the Busoni Composition Award of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin (2002) and scholarships from Akademie Schloss Solitude and Villa Serpentara in Olevano Romano. Other awards are the Förderpreis of the Ernst von Siemens Foundation, Schneider-Schott Music Prize (2005), and supporting award of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin (2006). He also received the Kaske Prize of the Christoph-und-Stephan-Kaske-Stiftung (2009), HappyNewEars prize of the Hans and Gertrud Zender Foundation (2011), and Hans-Werner Henze Prize (2013). Enno Poppe is a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin (since 2008), North Rhine–Westphalia Academy of Sciences and Arts (since 2009), and Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts (since 2010). 

As a conductor, Enno Poppe regularly performs with Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Musikfabrik, and Ensemble Resonanz. Since 1998 he also is the chief conductor of ensemble mosaik. He has taught composition at Hanns Eisler High School of Music in Berlin, Summer Courses for New Music in Darmstadt, and at Impuls Akademie (Graz). 

Enno Poppe received commissions from the Salzburg Festival, Ensemble intercontemporain, Berlin Festival, Musée du Louvre, and festivals such as Donaueschinger Musiktage, Munich Biennale, musica viva (Munich), Ultraschall (Berlin), MaerzMusik (Berlin), Éclat (Stuttgart), and Wittener Tagen für Neue Kammermusik. 

Enno Poppe’s music has been performed notably by quartets such as Arditti and Kairos, conductors such as Pierre Boulez, Susanna Mälkki, Emilio Pomárico and Peter Rundel, and orchestras such as SWR Sinfonieorchester, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Scottish Symphony, Bavarian Radio Symphony, Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, and Junge Deutsche Philharmonie. Ensembles that regularly perform his music include are Ensemble intercontemporain, Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Resonanz, Klangforum Wien, ensemble mosaik, Ensemble Contrechamps, Musikfabrik, Ensemble 2e2m, SWR Vokalensemble, and Neue Vokalsolisten Stuttgart. 

Selected works (since 2005): Trauben, piano trio (2004–5), Wespe for voice, to words by Marcel Beyer (2005), Salz for ensemble (2005), Schrank for nine musicians (1989–2009), Obst for orchestra (2006), Keilschrift for orchestra (2006), Arbeit for virtual Hammond organ (2006–7), Drei Arbeiten for baritone, horn, piano and percussion (2007), Arbeit Nahrung Wohnung, stage music for 14 gentlemen, to words by Marcel Beyer (2006–7), Abend for four male voices and four trombones (2007), Altbau for orchestra (2007–8), Zug for seven brass (2008), Markt for large orchestra (2008–9), Tonband for two percussion, two keyboards and live electronics (with Wolfgang Heiniger, 2008–13), Fingernagel for violin and viola (2009), Schweiß for cello and keyboard or four instruments (2010), Brot for five musicians (2007–13), Speicher for large ensemble (2008–13), Speicher I for large ensemble (2009–10), Wald for four string quartets (2010), Kofferfor large ensemble (2012), IQ, stage music in eight acts, to words by Marcel Beyer (2011–12), Welt for large string orchestra (2011–12), Gold for mixed choir (2006–13), Haare for violin (2013–14), Zwölf for cello (2014), Filz for viola and (2013–17; version with strings, 2014), Schlaffor two bass clarinets (2011–15), Fell for percussion (2016), Glasfor six voices (2016), Stoff, nonet for winds and strings (2015), Buchfor string quartet (2013–16), Feld for two pianos and two percussion (2016), Freizeit for string quartet (2016), Torf for orchestra (2016), Fleisch for saxophone, electric guitar, keyboard and drums (2017), Schrauben for 13 percussionists (2017), Rundfunk for nine synthesizers (2018), Quintet for two violins, viola and two cellos (2016–19), Schmalz for violin (2019).