Photo by Richard L. Gaw             Andrew Miller recently left his role as the director of The Kennett Flash to join the Performing Arts Division at Longwood Gardens.

By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Andrew Miller, who introduced national musical acts to local audiences, engineered innovative virtual concerts during a worldwide pandemic and created a successful rooftop series, left his role as the director of the Kennett Flash to join the Performing Arts Division at Longwood Gardens at the end of February.
Under Miller’s leadership, The Flash – now in its 13th year of operations – was the beneficiary of his relationships with artists at the local and national level that resulted in an increased visibility not only for the venue itself but for Kennett Square.  His efforts resulted in performances at The Flash by 10,000 Maniacs, Alejandro Escovedo, Livingston Taylor, The Levin Brothers, Bettye LaVette and many more.
As a measure of continuing to provide live music during the COVID-19 pandemic Miller launched a series of virtual performances and secured a number of state, national and private grants; including significant grants from the National Independent Venue Association, The Live Music Society, and The Chester County Community Foundation, which were critical in keeping the doors of The Flash open.
“The Board of Directors is strong and poised for new initiatives,” said Board President David Mattock. “We are prepared for ‘business as usual’ as we move into a busy spring calendar with fantastic artists.  The search for a new director is well underway and because Andrew left us in a very good position, we expect the transition to be a smooth one.  We are excited for this new opportunity.”
“I am grateful for my time at The Kennett Flash,” said Miller.  “When I came to The Flash in the summer of 2015, one of my earliest memories was a conversation with Dennis Melton about programming.  Not knowing what direction to take I asked him for his input.  He said ‘figure it out, that’s why we hired you.’  This statement ended up being what fueled my love for this position from the start, the gift of creative freedom.  Within the first three months I was bringing artists like California Guitar Trio to The Flash for the first time.
“Programming for this truly unique space is probably what I’m going to miss most,” Miller added.  “I’m absolutely going to miss the artists I worked with on a regular basis, as well as the patrons, volunteers, and staff of The Flash. I was told by Dennis Melton to know ‘when you decide to leave The Flash, know that it’s in a much better place than when you arrived.’”

The Flash plans to continue the very popular Rooftop Concert Series this summer with a format similar to that of 2021. 

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].

join the Performing Arts Division at Longwood Gardens.