An important aspect of Qiu Shuwei's music career is how she brought French art songs to China. French art songs, a genre of classical music typically composed for piano and voice, are sung in French and often serve as musical interpretations of short poems. While this form of music has a rich history and deep tradition in France, it is relatively unfamiliar in China. While studying in France, Qiu Shuwei delved into French art songs and performed them across Europe. She later brought this musical form to China, where her performances garnered widespread attention, helping more people appreciate it. She also shared her French experiences with her peers in the Chinese music industry, promoting a better understanding of French art songs. In addition to introducing French art songs to China, Qiu Shuwei fused Chinese traditional music with this genre. By incorporating Chinese instruments and lyrics, she made French art songs more accessible to Chinese audiences while enhancing the global presence of Chinese music and fostering cultural exchange between China and France. By integrating French art songs into Chinese classical vocal traditions and innovating in both vocal technique and expressive style, Qiu Shuwei presents her audiences with a unique musical blend that captures the romantic emotional expression and intricate musical structures of French art songs. In doing so, she highlights the commonalities between the cultures of both countries through her work, and introduced this Western musical form to China, allowing Chinese audiences to discover and appreciate its beauty.

In 1992, Qiu Shuwei was admitted to the Hangzhou Normal University Conservatory of Music, excelling in her studies of vocal performance and music education. During her time there, she began to gain recognition in the local music scene. After graduating with top marks in 1996, she joined the faculty as a teacher while continuing to refine her vocal skills. The following year, she set her sights on furthering her education in France.

After completing her studies at a Chinese university in 1996, Qiu Shuwei furthered her education in 1997 at the prestigious École Normale de Musique de Paris, embarking on advanced vocal performance studies with a focus on French art songs and opera. Under the mentorship of esteemed vocal educators Edith Selig, Michèle Command, and Montserrat Caballé, she honed her craft, gaining a distinguished French elegance and intellectual poise that became hallmarks of her refined performance style. Her time in France marked the beginning of an international performance career, featuring concerts and operas across France and other European countries. Qiu's exceptional talent quickly garnered recognition, including second place in the Paris Music and Drama Singing Competition, solidifying her reputation as a rising star in the world of classical music.

In 2002, Qiu Shuwei held a highly acclaimed solo concert at the historic Salle Cortot in Paris, the same venue where Ravel's Shéhérazade had premiered. Her repertoire included works by Mozart, Ravel, Messiaen, Wolf, Massenet, and Puccini, showcasing her versatility and artistry. During her time in France, she achieved numerous accolades, including first place in the prestigious Paris International Music Singing Competition, where she earned unanimous praise from the judges. These accomplishments, along with other significant honors and awards, solidified her reputation as an artist of exceptional talent and a cultural bridge between East and West.

In 2003, Qiu Shuwei returned to China, focusing on integrating traditional Chinese music with French art songs. She introduced this musical form to Chinese audiences by performing French art songs and collaborating with renowned French musicians on tours across China, which garnered widespread acclaim. As a faculty member at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music's Department of Vocal Music, she developed a comprehensive research system for art songs and dedicated herself to nurturing the next generation of musical talent.

In 2004, she partnered with Hong Kong pianist Wu Meiluo for the solo concert Ravel Impression Night at the Shanghai Grand Theater, which achieved critical acclaim and sold out its subsequent East China tour. 

On April 24, 2007, the Library of Congress and the National Folklife Center hosted the launch and collection ceremony for Qiu Shuwei's album, Qiu Shuwei Sings Ravel, in the Whittall Pavilion of the Jefferson Building in Washington, DC. This marked the first time works by a Chinese singer interpreting Western art songs were added to the Library's collection. Following the ceremony, Qiu performed Chinese, French, and American songs for an audience of 200 experts, scholars, and colleagues in the Mary Pickford Theater of the Madison Building. Her exceptional artistry received widespread acclaim.

Qiu also gave a solo concert at the JCC Jewish Art Center Concert Hall in Washington. Her refined stage presence and confident performance captivated an audience that included foreign diplomats, their spouses, and numerous music and art critics. Dr. R. Mallory Starr, Jr., President of the Asian Cultural Academy of America, presented her with the Artistic Achievement Award, describing her singing as "beautiful and charming" and expressing admiration for the pride and nobility she radiates on stage. The event also saw participation from notable figures, including Wang Wenxuan, then Vice Minister of Culture of China, and Shu Xiao, Cultural Counselor and Consul General of the Chinese Embassy in the United States, who commended Qiu’s achievements on the international stage.

In May 2008, Qiu Shuwei joined award-winning musicians from the world-renowned Prades Festival for a concert tour in Dalian, Chengdu, Wuhan, Shanghai, and Beijing. As the sole Chinese musician invited, she performed alongside celebrated artists such as violinists Gérard Poulet and Mihaela Martin, clarinetist Michel Lethiec, pianist Jean-Claude Vanden Eyden, violist Vladimir Mendelssohn, and cellist Frans Helmerson, delivering a series of remarkable chamber music performances that left a lasting impression.

In September 2008, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of French composer Olivier Messiaen, Chinese soprano Qiu Shuwei, Russian pianist Tatiana Goncharova, and violinist Grigory Kalinovsky performed in two memorial concerts. These concerts were held on September 18 at the Eugene R. Black Auditorium at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC, and on September 21 at Columbia University’s Roone Arledge Auditorium in New York. Organized by the World Bank, Columbia University, the International Opera Alliance, and the UACAF, the performances highlighted cultural diversity while showcasing Qiu Shuwei's growing international acclaim. For her contributions, she received the Artistic Achievement Award from the World Bank and the Academic Exchange Award from Columbia University.

On October 16, 2009, Qiu Shuwei performed at the Navy Temple Theater at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis as part of the Second International High-Level Academic Forum on the United States and Asia-Middle East. This marked the first time in the Academy's history that a Chinese artist was invited to hold a solo concert. Qiu performed a repertoire of Chinese, French, and German art songs and collaborated with the United States Navy Band to sing American pieces. Fifteen performers from the Naval Academy Art Troupe accompanied her, under the direction of Brian O. Walden, the Navy Band’s 28th conductor. The event was attended by music enthusiasts, Naval Academy staff, forum delegates, and diplomats, including Ambassador Hua Jianmin, special envoy from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Recognized as a significant artistic and cultural exchange, the concert was featured in The Washington Times, and Qiu Shuwei was honored with the Friendship Contribution Award from the Naval Academy.

In 2012, Qiu Shuwei released the solo album Passions Croisées in France, further cementing her reputation as a prominent interpreter of French art songs. Two years later, during the 2014 Shanghai Concert Hall performance season, she expanded her artistic scope with the concert Under the Sky of Paris: Qiu Shuwei Poetry and Chanson Solo Concert, which garnered widespread acclaim.

In 2015, Qiu collaborated with renowned French conductor and composer Jean-Philippe Vanbesselaere to innovate French art song performance by incorporating 22 string players from the Festival Chamber Orchestra of France. This collaboration resulted in a successful tour of five solo concerts across France. In addition to these performances, Qiu has released three CDs and one DVD music album in recent years. As an expert in French culture, she has also translated and published two French literary works for Chinese audiences.

In 2007, the American Asian Cultural Preservation Committee and the American Asian Cultural Institute honored her with the "Art Achievement Award." The following year, she was named "Outstanding Asian Woman" by the World Women’s Forum. In 2012, she received the "Honorary Citizen" medal from the city of Saint-Martin-d’Olay, France. Since then, she has served as president of the Shanghai European and American Returned Scholars Association in France.

In 2021, Qiu was named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Ordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Republic, recognizing her contributions to cultural exchange. She currently holds distinguished and visiting professor positions at three universities, continuing her influence in both music and academia.