 The Houston Symphony (founded in 1913), is the largest and best-known of the city's professional orchestras, but they are hardly the only option.Other significant orchestras include Mercury Houston, Ars Lyrica, and the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra, as well as outstanding academic orchestras at the Rice University Shepherd School of Music and the University of Houston Moores School of Music (home to the 800-seat Moores Opera House).A full season of operas is performed in the downtown Theatre District by Houston Grand Opera, while a smaller community-based opera company (Opera in the Heights) performs in Lambert Hall.