Alma Maria Rose was born in Vienna into a musical family. Her father, Arnold Rose, was the founder of the Rose Quartet and her mother was Justine Mahler, the sister of Gustav Mahler, her brother was a pianist, conductor and composer and was considered a pioneer in music therapy. Alma Maria studied violin and was a solo performer. She married the famous violinist V. Prihoda and was the center person of the ladies ensemble Wiener Walzermondl.
After the Anschluss she fled to London (1938), but later left for Holland. When the Germans occupied Holland she managed to escape to France, but was later arrested by the Germans and sent to the concentration camp Auschwirz-Birkenau. In the camp Alma Maria Rose was engaged in music and conducted the Modchenorchester (fall 1943). Alma probably died of food contamination. After Alma’s death the orchestra and its members were transferred to Bergen-Belsen. Only 11 of a total of 47 musicians of the orchestra survived the Holocaust.