Zhang Le came from a musical family in Shanghai, where his father is a violinist in the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and also a celebrated violin teacher. He studied violin first with his father and later with Zhang Shixiang and Zhao Jiyang at the Shanghai Conservatory of music. At the age of 13, Zhang Le won the first prize of the National Violin Competition in China. Soon after Dorothy Delay predicted a great performing career after hearing him play. Later, Zhang Le went on to win the Violin Concerto Competition at the Aspen Music Festival and immediately received a full scholarship from the Juilliard school to study with Dorothy Delay. Zhang Le was a prizewinner in the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the Menuhin Violin Competition in England, and the Wieniawski Violin Competition in Poland. Prior attending the Juilliard school, Zhang Le had studied for six years with Berl Senofsky at the Peabody Institute of Music. In 1993, he became the first violinist from mainland China to join the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra.

Over the years Zhang Le has appeared frequently in recitals throughout North America, Europe and Asia. He also appeared as a soloist with orchestras including Maryland State Symphony, Denver Chamber Orchestra, Philadelphia Chamber Orchestra, Kumamoto Symphony Orchestra in Japan, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of Grand Teton Festival, and the Orchestra of Aspen Music Festival.