Byron Mayes’ opera singing filled the former Forever 21 clothing store in Santa Barbara as people packed in, hanging on every note.

The Music Academy of the West on Thursday offered a taste of what’s to come at its new downtown Santa Barbara location that will be known as The Muse.

During a groundbreaking for the highly anticipated $55 million redevelopment of 901 State St., the doors were open to the public, allowing anyone to wander in from State Street to take a look into the future.

“This is an extraordinary moment for the Music Academy of the West,” said Shauna Quill, president and CEO of the academy.

“For 80 years, our identity has been around our Montecito campus, and none of that will change, of course, but we’re opening up this new center to transform not only the Music Academy of the West, but also downtown Santa Barbara.”

Quill said The Muse will serve as home to the Lehrer Vocal Institute, which prepares fellows for a career in opera, chamber music and recital. 

Mayes sang “Largo al factotum” from Il barbiere di Siviglia by Gioachino Rossini, with Alvise Pascucci on piano. Members of the Sing! Youth Choir also performed “Be Like the Bird” at the end of the celebration, led by Erin McKibben, the choir’s artistic director.

Models of the redesigned space, along with renderings, allowed guests to visualize the new performance hall. 

Guests were also invited to write down who their muse is, which will later be displayed in the completed building. 

Cheryl Goldberg, the founding contributor for The Muse, said she hopes the new downtown location will build upon the music academy’s legacy of nurturing young musicians and artists.

“Years from now, I hope people will have their own stories about this building,” Goldberg said. “The concert they will never forget, the teacher who inspired them, the friendships they made here, the moment they first understood what music could mean in their lives — those are the stories that I’m most excited about.”

The project will include a new performance hall for up to 200 people that can transform to a rehearsal space for a 90-person orchestra, private recording studio spaces, dressing rooms, practice rooms, teaching studios, a student lounge and a rooftop event space.

The building footprint will mostly remain the same, except for the addition of a new tower facing Canon Perdido Street, where there is currently a trellis and palm trees.

Robin Elander, executive director of the Downtown Improvement Association, said the groundbreaking marks the start of something “truly special” for the Santa Barbara community.

“The impact of this project will extend far beyond these walls,” Elander said. “It will inspire and bolster future generations of young leaders, boost our economic vitality, and deepen our community fabric and local culture that makes Santa Barbara a world-class arts destination.”

The music academy opened in the 1950s at 1070 Fairway Road. It acquired the former Forever 21 location in downtown Santa Barbara in June 2025.

The Muse is set to open in 2028.