Italian pianist Fabio Bidini didn’t exactly learn how to play on a Steinway. But he didn’t need an authentic instrument to discover that he had a gift for music.

“My parents couldn’t afford a piano so I had a little electronic keyboard and I would sit and watch TV and pick up the notes immediately,” Bidini said. “My father said I had a good ear for music and they wanted me to get playing.”

So, Bidini began playing the piano. He started taking lessons when he was four years old in his third-floor condo from an instructor. Eventually, his family gathered up enough money to buy him his first instrument.

Twenty-six years later, Bidini is still playing the piano and has gained quite an international status in the world of classical music.

One of the ways Bidini has gained his status is by placing in national and international contests.

“I liked the competition and in 1984, I started playing at international competitions and placed sixth,” Bidini explained in his deep Italian accent.

After his first big win, he continued to play in and around Italy and received first prize at 11 of Italy’s most prestigious competitions. In 1992, Bidini came to the United States to join the Atlanta Symphony.

“They took me right away on the roster, and soon after that they got my name going,” Bidini remembered.

It wasn’t long before Bidini began playing with symphonies in St. Louis, Dallas and even New York. In 1993, he was a finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

As he played more often in the United States, his name got bigger and things began to happen for him.

“I love to play here and basically, this is my second country,” Bidini explained. “I’m playing very often here in the States, it’s going very well, and I like it very much here.”

Although Bidini lives in Italy, he spends most of his playing time here in the United States because, “[The United States] is more organized, generally speaking. Italy is less-organized, although they have great older theaters.”

When asked how far he plans to take his career, Bidini said, “I love to play piano. I love to make music; it’s something you cannot express with words. It’s the only thing I know how to do.”

Bidini will be in Ames Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Martha-Ellen Tye Recital Hall.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and free of charge for ISU students.