Petrinja Gears Up for Piano Recital
As impressions from the first of two sold-out Nick Cave spectacles at the Arena are still settling, young pianist Karlo Ivančić announces a free classical music concert in the Small Hall of the Croatian Home.
As impressions from the first of two sold-out Nick Cave spectacles at the Arena are still settling, young pianist Karlo Ivančić announces a free classical music concert in the Small Hall of the Croatian Home.
Just a few days after Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds sold out Pula's Arena and delivered a concert to remember, music lovers in Petrinja will have the opportunity to enjoy a completely different, yet equally passionate musical experience. On Sunday, August 9, 2026, at 8:00 PM in the Small Hall of the Croatian Home (POU Hrvatski dom), the young and talented pianist Karlo Ivančić will take the stage.
While Cave's performance on August 4 was synonymous with rock energy and collective catharsis before thousands, Ivančić's recital offers a more intimate evening filled with a carefully selected program of classical music. Admission to the concert is free, and organizers invite all interested parties to spend a pleasant summer evening with top-tier music and virtuoso performance in a cozy setting.
The first of two consecutive concerts by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds at Pula's Arena, held on Monday, lasted more than two and a half hours and showcased the power of a band that doesn't live on nostalgia. The Australian musician, dressed in a black suit and white shirt, broke down the barrier between himself and the audience right from the start, stepping off the stage and into the crowd. Later, fans carried him on their hands as he continued to sing.
The concert began at 9 PM sharp with "Get Ready for Love," and the setlist spanned a career of four decades. Particularly emotional moments included the performance of "O Children," a song about twenty years old, which Cave introduced with the words: "This song is about twenty years old. It belongs somewhat to the middle period of Cave, it's dark, merciless, depressing, and preoccupied with the world. We'd love for you to sing along with us." Thousands of voices from the audience turned the lyrics into a collective experience.
The atmosphere was also punctuated by moments of humor. Introducing "Carnage," the title track of the album Cave and Warren Ellis released in 2021, the musician joked: "This is a very beautiful song. It could be, probably, the greatest song ever written in the world. Many people disagree with that. However, Warren and I think so." He then added that guitarist George Vjestica would explain to the audience what the word "carnage" means in Croatian.
The emotional peak came with "The Weeping Song," dedicated to former Bad Seeds member Blixa Bargeld. "This is a song for crying. A song we cry to while we sway and lull ourselves to sleep. But we won't cry alone," Cave told the audience. After more than two and a half hours, the main set ended with a devastating crescendo of "Jubilee Street," and he returned for an encore with "City of Refuge" and "Stranger Than Kindness." A completely different ending followed when he performed "Into My Arms" alone at the piano, hushing the two-thousand-year-old amphitheater almost to a whisper.
The second concert by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds in Pula is scheduled for August 5, 2026, and the performances are part of a major European summer tour promoting their 2024 album "Wild God." On the other hand, Petrinja is preparing for an evening where Karlo Ivančić will offer the audience his own kind of musical magic, proving that Croatia is currently living a rich musical life, from rock spectacles to intimate piano tones.
