Petrić's extensive musical opus is almost completely dedicated to instrumental music. Apart from composing symphonies, chamber music, works for soloists and a smaller number of vocal compositions, Ivo Petrić was also the artistic director and conductor of the leading Slovenian orchestra of modern music in the 20th century: The Slavko Osterc Ensemble. He led the ensemble between the years 1962 and 1982.

Ivo Petrič started his professional musical path as an oboist and member of the Radio Ljubljana Orchestra since its founding in 1955. For three years and three months he played under the guidance of Uroš Prevoršek, after which Petrič started working as an independent artist. From 1979 until 1995 he was the artistic director of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra. For more than thirty years he was also in charge of the Society of Slovene Composers (DSS) Edition, which he later developed into a publishing house of modern music. Ivo Petrić also significantly influenced the creation of a number of new Slovenian music pieces, their performances, and the development of modern Slovenian music.

»I always say that I write as an old gentleman who is putting his memories on paper. In the past I experimented for a long time and then had enough of it. That is why I have started writing music notes in a more precise manner. At the same time I have preserved the freedom of lines and forms. It is a kind of old-age summary of all that I have done before,« is how Ivo Petrić describes the way he creates music.