On 16 October 2010 Nicola Samale took part in the event Soundtracks – A tribute to Pino Rucher.

In collaboration with the composer Giuseppe Mazzuca he also wrote numerous works, including some film soundtracks, and in particular the first version of the Ricostruzione of the unfinished Finale of Bruckner's Ninth Symphony (First performance: Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Berlin, Peter Gülke, 1986; first CD release: Radiosinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Eliahu Inbal, Teldec 1986).

This Performing Version, further developed in collaboration with John A. Phillips and Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs (1986–2011) made him known to a larger audience.

Also of particular interest is his completion of an unfinished orchestral arrangement of Liszt's Hexaméron (Variations on the march from I Puritani of Vincenzo Bellini; first performance: 2001, Catania, Orchestra Teatro M. V. Bellini, Donato Renzetti), his completed performing version of Mahler's Tenth Symphony (with Giuseppe Mazzuca;[1] first performance: 2001, Perugia, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Martin Sieghart) as well as his completion of the Scherzo from the Unfinished Symphony by Schubert (1988; first performance: 1988, Bari, Orchestra Sinfonica di Bari, Nicola Samale; revised version 2004 with Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs; first performance: 2004, Sarajevo, Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra, Benjamin-Gunnar Cohrs).

His composition Miracolo a Milano recently played an important role in the German movie Drei by Tom Tykwer (Germany, 2010).