Bulva's subsequent intense international concert schedule was interrupted in 1971 for an entire year by a serious accident.
He subsequently emigrated to the west for political reasons, taking residence first in Munich and then in Luxembourg, where he resumed his concert and recording activities.
In 1996 Bulva injured his left hand in another accident, with what was thought to be permanent damage, forcing him to end his career as a professional pianist.
Bulva's repertoire included works by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Liszt, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Scriabin, Rachmaninov and contemporary composers.
However, others have criticized his perceived analytic distance and lack of "romanticism", the latter especially with respect to his interpretation of the music of Chopin.