Although an early work was accepted by the BBC, Buller initially decided against a musical career and worked as an architectural surveyor. He began serious compositional study in 1964 at London University. He gained recognition for his series of pieces based on Joyce's =Finnegans Wake= in the 1970s. In these works, Buller uses musical gestures to conform with the literary model. Many of his later works were inspired by literature as well, including =Le terrazze=, a composition based on Dante.