Wanda Cochran

Wanda Cochran (March 29, 1923 – March 4, 2008) was an American soprano who performed on Broadway between 1937 and 1947. Born in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, she was the only child of Marshall and Ida Cochran. She won a scholarship to the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, where she earned a Master of Arts in Music.

Cochran's Broadway career began with the musical Three Waltzes during the 1937–38 season. She subsequently appeared in the original production of Oklahoma!, serving as an alternate in the lead role of Laurey. Her Broadway work continued through 1947–48, when she took part in the original production of Brigadoon. Between her Broadway engagements, she also toured Europe in the title role of the musical Irene. Following her time in New York, she returned to Michigan, where she hosted her own radio programs.

In 1948, Cochran married Robert H. Rose and relocated to Europe. Her European career encompassed nightclub and cabaret performances in Paris, regular engagements as a soloist with the Metropole Orchestra in the Netherlands, and broadcasts for the Voice of America. She later settled in England, where she performed in concerts, recitals, and oratorios. Cochran returned to New York City in 1968.

She and Robert Rose had two children: a son, Harrison deKoning Rose, who died in 1996, and a daughter, Miarka (Rose) Mazur. Cochran died on March 4, 2008, at the age of 84. She was survived by her daughter Miarka, her granddaughter Amanda Mazur, and her ex-husband, Robert Rose. Her death was noted in an obituary published in the New York Times on March 11, 2008.