中国当今最负盛名的女高音歌唱家，国家一级演员。曾毕业于中国中央民族大学音乐舞蹈系和中国音乐学院民族声乐研究生班。从事中国民族声乐演唱十几年中，创作演唱了近千首中国民族歌曲和大量中外艺术歌曲、歌剧咏叹调。出演过中国歌剧《伤逝》、《红珊瑚》和音乐剧《赤道雨》。她首唱的中国歌曲《辣妹子》、《好日子》、《爱我中华》、《大地飞歌》等，广泛流传于中国民间和世界华语圈。她在中国的歌迷遍及都市、乡间和边寨。
宋祖英，在中国观众心目中，是“东方艺术”的明星。她出生于中国历史上被许多著名诗人传颂的最具浪漫和传奇色彩的地方——湖南湘西。那里山清水秀，人杰地灵，历代多出美女，是仙人栖居的地方，至今还孕育着众多自幼能歌善舞的中国少数民族同胞。宋祖英便是其中最有歌舞天赋的苗族后裔。
宋祖英不断将自己的艺术追求与中国优秀民族音乐结合在一起。从她演唱的作品中能清晰地看到中国民族声乐传承、拓展和再创造的轨迹，她的演唱技巧注入了时代音乐艺术技法，形成了自己独特的声乐艺术表达方式和演唱风格，是当代民族声乐艺术的重要标杆和绚丽景观。多年来，在中国各类专业音乐比赛和民意评选中，她获得了众多最高荣誉奖项：
中国全国少数民族声乐比赛一等奖；
中国中央电视台音乐电视大赛金奖；
中国中央人民广播电台“全国听众最喜爱的歌手评选”民族组金奖；
中国国家广电部“星光奖”一等奖；
中国全国“金唱片”奖；
中国中央电视台“中国民族声乐贡献奖”；“中国民族声乐最杰出成就奖”；
中国戏剧“梅花奖”；
中国国家人事部、中国文联“德艺双馨”艺术家称号；
中国国家民政部“中华慈善奖”。
宋祖英至今已出版了多张个人演唱专辑唱片、录影带，并出版发行了《好日子——宋祖英风采集》、《乐海真情——宋祖英演唱歌曲精选》和《中国百年电影歌曲经典——百年留声》。
近年来，宋祖英多次随中国艺术团出访欧洲、澳洲、美国、加拿大及东南亚进行艺术交流。2002年韩国“世界杯”足球赛大型演唱会，宋祖英受邀代表华人演唱。2002年12月，作为中国和澳大利亚建交30周年纪念文化使者，在澳大利亚悉尼歌剧院成功举办了《好日子——宋祖英独唱音乐会》。2003年11月，在奥地利维也纳金色大厅成功举办了个人独唱音乐会。
宋祖英在中国获得演艺成功的同时，积极参加社会公益和慈善活动，捐助中国最具影响的“希望工程”，获得了许多社会荣誉。她曾任中国第九届全国人民代表大会代表，全国妇女联合会执委、现任中国第十届全国政协委员、全国青年联合会常委、中国文学艺术界联合会委员、中国音乐家协会理事。
Song Zuying is the most famous soprano in China. She is the first – rank actress. She was graduated from the department of music and dancing of China Central Nationality University and the postgraduate class for national vocality of China Music College. During tens of several years of singing of Chinese national vocality, she has created and sung nearly a thousand of Chinese national songs and large amount of Chinese and foreign art songs and aria for opera. She was acted the Chinese Opera “Die in Sadness”, “Red Corel”, and the music play “Equator Rain”. She has sung a lot of Chinese songs, such as Spicy Girl, Happy Life, Love My China and Flying Songs on the Ground. Such songs are popular in the folk of China and the Chinese circulation in the world. Her fans are filled with the cities, villages and frontier shockaded villages in China.
In the mind of Chinese audiences, Song Zuying is the star of oriental art. She was born in the place which was the most romantic and legend and was eulogized by many poets in Chinese history – Wulingyuan in the western Hu’nan. That was a very beautiful place and a lot of outstanding talents and beautiful women were born there. It is a place where the immortals are living. Up till now there are a lot of fellowmen of Chinese minor nationalities which can sing and dance since childhood living. Among of them, Song Zuying is the descendent of Miao with most talents on singing and dancing.
Song Zuying is always combing the art pursuing of herself and the excellent national music in China, from her art works we can wee the trace of inheriting, expanding and re-creating of Chinese national vocality clearly. Her singing skills have been imposed the music skill of this times successfully and form the expression method of vocality art and the style of singing of herself. This is the important standard and the beautiful view in the modern national vocality art. In the recent years, she has been awarded many supreme awards in the various kinds of specialty music contest and the election of public opinion.
1ST Award of China Vocality Contest of Minor Nationality
Golden Award of MTV Contest of CCTV
Golden Award of the Nationality Group of “Most favorite singer” of CPB of China
1st Award of “Starlight Award” of China National Broadcasting and Television Department
The Award of Golden Disc of China
Award of Outstanding Contribution of Chinese National Vocality of CCTV
Award of Club for the opera of China
Artist of Moral and Ability, by China Ministry of Personnel and China Literature Association.
Award of Charity in China by China Department of People’s Affairs
Song Zuying has published many personal albums and videos, and she has published Happy Life – Photo Album of Song Zuying, Real Passion in the Music World – Selection of Songs by Song Zuying and Voices of a Hundred Years – The Classics of the Songs in the Chinese Films over a Century.
In the recent years, Song Zuying has visited Europe, Australia, USA, Canada and Southeastern Asia for the art interaction with China Art Delegation. In the World Cup held in Korea in 2002, Song was invited to sing representing the Chinese in the large scale vocal concert. In December 2002, as the culture ambassador for the 30th anniversary for the establishment of the diplomatic relation between China and Australia, she held the vocal concert “Prosperity” in Sydney, Australia successfully. In November 2003, she held the personal vocal concert in the Golden Hall in Vienna, Australia successfully.
At the same time of being successful in acting and art in China, Song Zuying also take part in the social public commonweal and charity activities actively. She has donated the most impressive “Project of Hope” in China and got a lot of social reputation. She was the representative of 9th NPC, now she is the member of 10th CPPCC, the standing member of China Youth Union, the executing member of China Women Union, the member of China Literature and Art Union and the agent of China Musician Association.
