Item from Futurama by Matt Groening & David X. Cohen
A musical instrument combining an oboe with a holographic projector — nearly impossible to play well, and the source of one of television's most beautiful love stories.
The Holophonor is a 31st-century instrument so difficult that only a few people possess the skill to play it — and they're not very good. Fry is obsessed with mastering it to express his love for Leela. In 'Parasites Lost,' parasitic worms enhanced his abilities enough to play beautifully. In 'The Devil's Hands Are Idle Playthings,' he traded hands with the Robot Devil to compose and perform an opera for Leela — one of the show's most emotionally devastating episodes. When forced to return the Robot Devil's hands, Fry's crude, childlike playing still told Leela their love story, and she was the only one who stayed to watch.
A woodwind instrument resembling an oboe but with additional technological components that project holographic images when played. The holograms respond to the mood and quality of the music, creating visual stories in the air above the player.
Also known as: Holophonor