Vytautas Labutis (b. 1960) began his musical path with the studies of the accordion at Balys Dvarionas Music School in Vilnius. He later turned to the saxophone, studying jazz improvisation under Vladimir Chekasin. Labutis made his debut in 1982 with the Petras Vyšniauskas Quartet at Birštonas Jazz Festival and has since performed extensively across Europe, as well as in the United States (including Detroit Jazz Festival (former Ford Montreux Jazz Festival)), Australia, and Asia. Renowned for his versatility, he is a distinctive improviser, performer, composer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader.

From 1982 to 1988, he was a member of the Petras Vyšniauskas Quartet, and since 1987 he has been a member of the Vladimir Chekasin Quartet. Since 1988, he has led the Vytautas Labutis Trio, and since 1995, he has been a member of the quintet, Džiazo Nublokšti (Gone With Jazz), and Vilnius Jazz Quartet (which disbanded in 2010). In 1997, he founded an octet, with which he recorded his first album of original compositions, Terra Vandetuja. Among his accolades are the Grand Prix at the Birštonas 96 Jazz Festival and the first prize at 2002 Blues Marathon in Kaunas.

The saxophonist has collaborated with most of Lithuania’s leading jazz artists and ensembles, including Vladimiras Tarasovas Lithuanian Art Orchestra, the Lithuanian Young Composers Orchestra, the Dainius Pulauskas Sextet, and Kaunas Bigband. For a decade, he was a member of the prestigious Jazz Baltica Ensemble (featuring such leads as David Murray, Niels Pedersen, Maria Schneider, Django Bates, and others). His international engagements include Octet Ost III, East-West Vapirov Project, the New European Saxophone Quartet, the Italian-Lithuanian Quartet (Andrea Pellegrini, Riccardo Ienna, Vytautas Labutis, Eugenijus Kanevičius, 2009). He has collaborated with St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra (Pokalbių ratas and Night in Tunisia) and was the leader the jazz ensemble, Silent Blast, which consisted of his students.

Labutis has an extensive record of performing contemporary academic music. He has participated in art performances, recordings for theatre and film. He has appeared on screen in Taxi Blues (dir. Pavel Lungin), It Snows in Paradise and The Owl Mountain (dir. Audrius Juzėnas).

Since 1995, Labutis has been mentoring young musicians at Balys Dvarionas Music School in Vilnius and is a lecturer at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre from 2000 to 2002. His students have successfully pursued jazz studies in Europe and the United States.

Today, Labutis leads his own projects while performing actively with ensembles All Reeds Duo, the Neda/Banys/Labutis Trio, Haruspic, Emeritus Jazz Quartet, and Šinkarenko Jazz5. He also collaborates with prominent Lithuanian musicians, including Vladimir Chekasin, Vladimiras Tarasovas, Arkadij Gotesman, Rokas Zubovas, Artūras Anusauskas, and Donatas Bielkauskas. In addition, he composes and performs original music in poetry and music projects alongside actors, Dalia Jankauskaitė, Pijus Ganusauskas, and poet Gytis Norvilas.

In 2025, Labutis received the international Vilnius Jazz Festival award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to Lithuanian jazz.

His discography encompasses three solo albums and contributions to more than 50 recordings as a co-author, performer, or producer.