The wonder of music is in its ambiguity.

This ambiguity is primarily decided by what emotions the music evokes, how is it interpreted by the listener and its cultural context – the music’s meaning may vary for different groups within a given society. There is also structure and form; how is melody and harmony used in the music.

The possibilities stemming from musical ambiguity are endless, and it is from this realm of ambiguity French Impressionist music emerges as a genre. Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel prove to be the movement’s most prominent composers and ironically both spurn being identified as French Impressionist composers.

Claude Debussy was indeed revolutionary. He swam against the tide of standard European classical music by transforming the fashionable fanfaric orchestral style of the day.

Debussy created magisterial musical canvases that were atmospheric and subtle. He utilised innovative harmonies with a novel use of chord progressions and developed an unmistakably unique and unusual compositional style.

Ravel was influenced by Debussy and was an ardent supporter of Debussy’s compositions. In time, Ravel soon proved to be a prodigious talent, a tour de force in the world of music.

He had a reputation for being obsessive and meticulous as he composed, which was warranted as he distinguished himself with luminous melodies and vibrant orchestrations.

Ravel’s compositions utilised innovative harmonies and evoked dazzling sonic textures. His style of lyrical elegance was informed by modernist thinking and a number of musical traditions, notably the blues and jazz which he was exposed to in New Orleans. Ever the innovator, Ravel was one of the first composers to produce recordings of his music.

The Bermuda Piano Festival opened with Ravel’s Ma Mere l’Oye (The Mother Goose Suite), piano, four-hands performed by Alex Tuchman and Eteri Andjaparidze. With music, Ravel depicts classic fairytales with an enchanting score and imaginative sonic textures.

Tuchman and Andjaparidze ably render Ravel’s beautiful and imaginative movements as a nuanced conversation of harmonies and melodies. There was a genuine charm in their playing which truly engaged the audience. This was evident in the first and fifth movements Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty and The Enchanted Garden.

I also found any limitations of the gallery space were mitigated by the piano’s tone – which was one of rich resonance and a vibrant sonority. Surprisingly, the gallery space itself lends an immediate intimacy to the music and accessibility to the performance. A balance not often achieved even in major concert halls.

In May 1917, Debussy premiered Sonata in G minor for Violin and Piano. He was battling cancer as he played the piano. This would be his last public performance as Debussy died in the spring of 1918.

Initially, Debussy’s sonata was deemed a failure and dismissed by critics as being too short. Pianist TianYi Li and violinist Brian Fox deftly perform the three movements showcasing Debussy’s innovative approach to composing. The performances of Li and Fox traversed the lively and whimsical and the movements were always anchored in an innate drama. Today, Debussy’s sonata is considered a masterpiece of French chamber music.

Santiago Lomelin presented a formidable rendition of Enrique Granado’s Goyescas: The Gallants in Love. This composition by Granados was inspired by the painting of Francisco Goya. Lomelin exudes a commanding virtuosity as he journeys through the colourful melodies and infectious rhythms of these movements with admirable musicianship.

Tuesday’s concert concluded with Le Grand Tango, a Astor Piazzolla duet performed by cellist Sumire Kudo with Lomelin on piano. Piazzolla’s La Grand Tango highlights his nuevo tango style which blended traditional tango with Jazz and Classical music elements. Kudo was captivating as she played with vigour and met the challenging passages with a precise brilliance infused with emotion.

This is an aspect of the Bermuda Piano Festival that does not get emphasised and can be overlooked. It presents musicians of an extraordinary calibre in an amazingly accessible way – in performance and especially via its Masterclass programme.

If there was a singular reason to attend Thursday night’s performance, it was the piano playing of Alex Tuchman. His approach to Ravel’s Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, a suite of eight waltzes renowned for elegant harmonies, sophisticated phrases and textures and their rich melodies was simply impressive.

A poised Tuchman played with sheer beauty, technical precision, and a rhythmic vitality that was both focused and delicate in execution. Tuchman in that instance showcased his masterful handling of the music and the piano.

This stellar performance was followed by Bizet's Chants du Rhin (Songs of the Rhine), which is music inspired by the Rhine River.

Tuchman’s amazing talent and musicianship gave each piece an evocative voicing that possessed a sense of character and personality that was sometimes lively and spirited, other times movingly introspective and charmingly romantic. It was a dazzling display of command and virtuosity.

For the last performance, Tuchman was joined by Brian Fox and Sumire Kudo to present Ravel’s Piano Trio in A minor. The musicians ably stepped up to the demands of this engaging composition with a technical brilliance in the playing of each instrument. The appeal of the performances was a rich and pleasurable experience for the audience.

• The Bermuda Piano Festival concludes this evening at Masterworks, with the concert starting at 7.30pm