Rose was born in
Ridgewood, New Jersey, to Ida LeHovey and Henry William Schroeder. She performed on the harp as a student at
Ridgewood High School. She studied harp at Blue Ridge College in
New Windsor, Maryland, and at
Mannes School of Music. Her teachers included
Lucile Lawrence and
Carlos Salzedo. In 1936, Rose received First Prize in the Federated Music Clubs contest. Rose debuted as a harpist at the
1939 New York World's Fair. In 1940, she performed on the Damrosch Music Appreciation Hour and in 1945, she won the New York Hour of Music award. She was an associate harpist in the
Radio City Music Hall Orchestra from 1944 to 1950. In 1952, then a resident of
Bergenfield, New Jersey, she travelled to Europe for a tour of France, Italy and Switzerland that included a performance in Genoa that was attended by the United States Ambassador to Italy. She joined the Houston Symphony as principal harpist in 1953, where she remained until 1984. In 1954 she married Houston Symphony tubist William Harrison Rose. Rose also taught harp privately and at
Rice University,
Sam Houston State Teachers College,
St. Agnes Academy, and the
University of Houston. Her students included Betsy Brownlee, Barbara Goodrich, Leah Jorgensen, Sorana Scarlat, and Amy Waltz. In 1968, Rose founded the Houston Harp Ensemble, which appeared on PBS television. Rose belonged to the
American Harp Society and the
National Federation of Music Clubs. She was a member of and an adjudicator for the
Texas Music Educators Association. == Book ==