Bill McBirnie is a jazz flutist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
He studied with American flutist Samuel Baron, Canadian flutist and composer Robert Aitken, and Cuban charanga musician, Richard Egues.
McBirnie has worked in the bebop, swing, and Latin idioms, as illustrated by his recordings as a sideman with Junior Mance (Here 'Tis, Sackville Records), Irakere (Afrocubanismo Live, Bembe Records), Memo Acevedo (Building Bridges, Jazz Alliance), Emilie-Claire Barlow (The Very Thought of You, Empress Music), and Cache (Blended and The Toronto Sessions, Indie Pool) . He is a charter member of Bernie Senensky's Moe Koffman Tribute Band.
McBirnie has produced two Extreme Flute albums (Desvio and Scratch It!) and three acoustic jazz albums under his own name entitled Nature Boy and Paco Paco (featuring pianist Bernie Senensky). These albums have consistently attained Top 40 spots at Canada's jazz station, Jazz FM 91, and in the U.S. on Bob Parlocha's syndicated jazz program.
McBirnie was chosen Flutist of the Year by the Jazz Report Awards, nominated as Miscellaneous Instrumentalist of the Year at the National Jazz Awards as well as being the only winner in all three of the U.S.A. National Flute Association's jazz flute (1) Soloist, (2) Masterclass and (3) Big Band Competitions. He has also been a longstanding contributor to the Woodwinds column of the Canadian Musician magazine and was recruited personally by James Galway to serve as his resident Jazz Flute Specialist at his official web site.
With Junior Mance