According to Maria Hofer's Curriculum Vitae written in 1966/1967 and other auto/biographical documents her tutors included Franz Schmidt, Hermann Graedener, Ernst Ludwig, and Richard Stöhr.
Her ability to improvise at the organ was fostered by the organist of St. Stephan's Cathedral, Victor Boschetti; she began to compose in earnest during the First World War.
One of Maria Hofer's non-performing roles was to advise the Viennese publishing-house Universal Edition about organ works; she herself described the post as important for her musical development, since it brought her into contact with many prominent artistic figures, including Maurice Ravel, Alexander Zemlinsky, Darius Milhaud, Béla Bartók, Zoltán Kodály, Alfredo Casella, Alma Mahler, Franz Werfel, and Stefan Zweig.
After Emil Hetzka's death in 1932, Yella Hertzka joined the board of directors of the public company Universal Edition and continued to support Maria Hofer's career.
When she was released eight months later, she returned home to find that several manuscripts of her compositions, together with important correspondence from Franz Werfel, Stefan Zweig, Arnold Schoenberg, and others had disappeared.