Mary Rose Adkins has been a choir director, pianist, and organist at several area churches, including Sharon Presbyterian Church where she was the director of the children’s and handbell choirs. Mary Rose has served as Quail Hollow’s Handbell Director since 2006. She has also previously served as children's choir director, pianist, and interim choir director.

Mary Rose has been a church musician and piano teacher in the Charlotte area for more than 40 years. She has served as a judge for several local, regional, and state piano festivals and competitions in North Carolina and South Carolina. She has a B.A. in Music Education and a Masters in Music History.

A native of West Virginia, Mary Rose has been married to her husband, Virgil, for 49 years. They have two children and two grandchildren.