Hovland Conservatory got its start in 1968 by Mary Hovland with a single studio in Blaine, Minnesota. In 1989, Mary Hovland partnered with Maranatha Christian Academy to create a piano, band, and violin program in the school. Over the next few years, this program expanded to other private schools in the Twin Cities. In 1995, Hovland Conservatory was incorporated as a nonprofit and began shifting its energies on developing a standardized curriculum for teaching music that ensures successful results for every student.

In doing so, Hovland Conservatory has expanded from a couple locations in Minnesota to over a dozen locations in Minnesota, Arizona, and Illinois. Through an organic process of expansion, Hovland seeks to continue its growth of bringing quality private music instruction to more communities.