[1] The son of an accountant and a driver, he became interested in singing at an early age and admired the Soviet singer Muslim Magomayev.
[4] He was named a semi-finalist and finalist at the International Stanisław Moniuszko Vocal Competition in Warsaw and the Tenor Viñas Contest in Barcelona, respectively, and received the "Accademia Chigiana" prize at the latter.
[2] His performance, standing center stage with his hand over his heart and as the only singer without carrying a score, was praised by music critics and later broadcast by Ukrainian media outlets.
[2] Zachary Woolfe of The New York Times wrote that despite the brevity of the role, Buialskyi's performance was "as indelible as any artist on the Met's roster".
[10] Rick Perdian of the New York Classical Review also praised his performance, writing that he "sang with verve and danced with style".