Valentinas Gelgotas was born on 31 July 1953. In 1960−71 he studied flute at Kaunas J. Naujalis Art School (with J. Keblikas); in 1971−76 he studied at the Vilnius Conservatoire (now Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre) with Prof. L. Survila; in 1978−81 he studied for practice-based PhD at Moscow Conservatoire (with Prof. Y. Yagudin).

In 1970 he won the 1st prize at the IV National Young Performers Competition. In 1979 he won the All-Union Flute Competition in Minsk. While still a student (from 1975) he joined the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (then it was the LSSR State Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra) where he still works today. Since 1980 he has been the leader of the flute group of this orchestra and performing as the flute soloist. As a member of this orchestra he has given concerts in most prestigious venues in France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Luxemburg, Switzerland, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan and all former republics of the USSR.

Valentintas Gelgotas has been frequently performing as a soloist and with various chamber ensembles. He has performed with pianists Mūza Rubackytė, Povilas Stravinskas, Audronė Kisieliūtė, Andrius Vasiliauskas and Albina Šikšniūtė; with organists Živilė and Virginija Survilaitė, Gediminas Kviklys, Jūratė Landsbergytė and Jūratė Bundzaitė; with guitarists R. Evers (Germany) and A. Pauliukevičius; singers Asta Krikščiūnaitė and Sigutė Trimakaitė; with violinists Ingrida Armonaitė, Rusnė Mataitytė, Darius Dikšaitis and A. Peseckas; with violists Audronė Pšibilskienė, Girdutis Jakaitis, V. Raškevičiūtė and S. Kopelianskij (Israel); with Čiurlionis and Vilnius quartets, with the percussion ensemble Vilniaus mušamieji and the string ensemble of the National Symphony Orchestra.

He has been participating in chamber music projects. From 1975 to 1987 he was a member of the Lithuanian Composers Union Chamber Ensemble where he performed many opuses by contemporary Lithuanian composers and was the first performer of many newly composed opuses. Currently he is a member of the Gaida Ensemble Soloists.

V. Gelgotas is interested in music of all epochs and by composers of various nationalities; as a soloist he has been performing in theme concerts dedicated to work by composers of different periods.

During over 20 years of his creative career Gelgotas has given over 700 concerts organised just by the philharmonic. Around a 100 of these concerts were solo concerts with various orchestras: Lithuanian Chamber (artistic director Saulius Sondeckis), St. Christopher Chamber (artistic director Donatas Katkus), Šiauliai Chamber, Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra (leader Juozas Domarkas), Kaunas Musical Theatre Symphony Orchestra, Liepaja Symphony Orchestra (Latvia) and others.

As a soloist he has performed in the Great Hall of Moscow P. I. Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, the Great Column Hall and M. Glinka Small Hall of St. Petersburg Philharmonic; also in Georgia, Byelorussia, The Ukraine, Latvia, Germany and Poland. He has participated in the following festivals: International Pažaislis Music Festival, international contemporary music festival Iš arti, Biržai Festival, International Drum and Percussion Festival, new music festival Marių klavyrai, International St. Christopher Festival, Dainava Music Festival, international contemporary music festival Gaida, Nakties serenados in Palanga, international Göteborg Art Sounds festival in Sweden, international Pan Music festival in South Korea and international contemporary music festival Melos-Ethos in Bratislava.

The flutist has published a solo record with pianist Mūza Rubackytė, several records with the Composers Union Chamber Ensemble, a CD of Mozart’s music for flute and orchestra (Mozarto muzika fleitai ir orkestrui) with the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Saulius Sondeckis (the latter was published by Mazur Media). His performances have been published in CDs: June Music – opuses by Onutė Narbutaitė and Rudens riturnelė (Finlandia Records), opuses by Osvaldas Balakauskas, chamber opuses by Zigmas Virkšas, Asta Krikščiūnaitė and Giunter percussion CD (published by ZET Records).

Over 200 opuses have been recorded for the Lithuanian National Radio archives which are often broadcasted by various foreign radio programmes (BBC-Radio3, Deutschlandfunk, WDR 3, Radio Dresden and others).

Since 1984 Gelgotas has been teaching at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre, associated professor since 1998.
Valentinas Gelgotas has arranged and adapted over ten of various opuses for flute ensembles that are not only included in study programmes but also performed during concerts. In 1998 the Music Society published a collection of plays by M. K. Čiurlionis, Humoresque and Nocturne, arranged by the flutist. In 2006 the Music Information and Publishing Centre published a collection of chamber ensembles for flutes, Flautando, including Improvisation and Scerzo by V. Bagdonas (edited), The Sea by J. Tamulionis (Jūra, arranged), J. Janulytė’s Quartet and E. Sausanavičiūtė’s Ritual (Ritualas, arranged). In 2006 MIC published Kapricio No 1 for Flute and Piano by J. Pakalnis (edited).
In 2001 Gelgotas was a jury member for the IX J. Pakalnis Young Performers Competition;
In 2005 he was a jury member of the III International Young Performers Chamber and Jazz Music Festival-Competition Sąskambiai; In 2006 he was a member of the jury of the National Chamber Ensemble Competition at the M. K. Čiurlionis Art Gymnasium.

In 1987 for his contribution to Lithuanian music Valentinas Gelgotas was awarded the title of honorary artist of Lithuanian SSR; in 2003 the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania awarded him a letter of thanks “For a creative career with the Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra” and “For long-term and honest work in promoting Lithuanian music culture” in 2005.