Cyrena van Gordon was the stage name of an American operatic contralto born Cyrena Sue Pocock on September 4, 1892, in Camden, Ohio; she died on April 4, 1964, in New York City. In 1912 she married Shirley B. Munns, an eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist in Chicago. After studies with Louise Dotti, van Gordon made her operatic debut as Amneris in Verdi's Aida in 1913. A principal member of the opera companies active in Chicago during her career, she also performed in New York City, Philadelphia, and as far afield as San Francisco. She left recordings for the Edison and Columbia companies.