Hal Leonard LLC

Who owns Hal Leonard? Muse Group, the Cyprus-based music software company backed by Francisco Partners, has owned Hal Leonard since December 1, 2023. Before that it was majority owned by an internal management group led for decades by Keith Mardak.

Is Hal Leonard a real person? No. The name combines the first names of founder Harold "Hal" Edstrom and his brother Everett "Leonard" Edstrom. They founded the company with Roger Busdicker in 1947.

Does Hal Leonard own Noteflight? Yes. Hal Leonard acquired the Boston-based browser notation company Noteflight in February 2014, and it now operates within Muse Group.

Where is Hal Leonard located? Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it has operated since moving from its founding city of Winona, Minnesota.

The company began in Winona, Minnesota in 1947, founded by Harold "Hal" Edstrom, his brother Everett "Leonard" Edstrom, and their bandmate Roger Busdicker. The name combined Hal's and Leonard's first names. It started by printing arrangements for school dance bands at a time when publishers ignored the school market.

An internal management team led by general manager Keith Mardak bought the company in 1975 and expanded it into book and audio instruction, building the catalog through licenses with major publishers and artists. Mardak became CEO and chairman and held a majority stake for decades. The company moved its headquarters to Milwaukee and grew into the largest print music publisher in the world.

Digital expansion came through acquisition and build-out: Noteflight in 2014, the Sheet Music Direct platform, and the ArrangeMe self-publishing program. In 2023 private equity-backed Muse Group bought the company in a deal supported by Francisco Partners, ending nearly 50 years of employee and management ownership. Several Hal Leonard executives, including leadership under president Larry Morton, reinvested in the combined group.

As a print publisher, its footprint concentrates in paper sourcing, printing, and physical distribution. The company has run digital-first initiatives that reduce print volume, and it participates in music education philanthropy through teacher programs.