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1955-1967 studied choral conducting at the Vilnius M. K. Čiurlionis Secondary School of Art under the tutelage of A. Jozėnas. In 1967-1971 he studied at the Lithuanian State Conservatoire under doc.

While studying and training in Vilnius, G. Purlys worked in 1965-1967 as a choirmaster and concertmaster of the mixed choir "Tauras" of the Republican Chamber of Culture of Trade Unions and the mixed choir of the Chamber of Construction Workers' Culture in Vilnius. In 1970-1972 he was the choirmaster of the women's choir "Eglė" of the Vilnius Builders' Culture Chamber and the Lithuanian Society of the Blind Chamber Choir. In 1971-1972 he worked as a lecturer of choir conducting at the Music Department of Vilnius State Pedagogical Institute.

From 1972 until the end of his life G. Purlys lived and worked in Klaipėda. In 1972-1973 he was a lecturer in choir conducting at the Klaipėda faculties of the Lithuanian State Conservatoire, in 1973-1985 he was a senior lecturer, and in 1985-1992 he was an associate professor at the Choir Conducting Department. In 1976-1980 he was also a part-time head of the Choral Conducting Department.

1975-1978 he deepened his knowledge of choral conducting at the part-time assistant-internship of prof.

Since 1992 G. Purlys has been a professor, in 1992-1997 - head of the Department of Choral Conducting at the Faculty of Arts of Klaipėda University, member of the Senate and the Council of the Faculty. 

1979-1989 and 1992-1993 and from 1997 until the end of his life G. Purlys was the director of the Klaipėda University Choir Department's mixed student choir. 

He prepared the choir for the Republican Song Festivals in 1980 and 1985, for the Baltic Students' Song Festivals "Gaudeamus" in 1981, 1984, 1988 in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius, and for the Second World Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius in 1998. The choir has given numerous concerts in Lithuania and abroad, and has given concerts with composers such as J. Tallat Kelpša, J. Dambrauskas, J. Gruodis, S. Šimkus and other composers.

In 1991-1994 G. Purlys was the director of the Klaipėda Conservatoire's Mixed Choir and the Girls' Choir. He prepared Th. Dubois oratorio "Seven Words of Christ" and J. Rutter cantata "Magnificat" by J. Rutter, which he performed for the first time in Klaipėda and in Vilnius St. Casimir's Church. He prepared the choir for the 9th S. Šimkus Competition in 1992, where it won second prize and a special prize, and for the 1st World Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius in 1994 (together with A. Purliene). 

Mr Purlys has trained over 50 choir conductors in schools.

In addition to his pedagogical work, G. Purlys also directed amateur choirs.

1972-1999 he was the artistic director and conductor of the mixed choir "Gintaras" of the Kretinga Raykoopsas Union (later - the Culture House). Since 1975 he prepared the choir for all republican song festivals, the Lithuanian National Song Festival in 1990, the 1st and 2nd World Lithuanian Song Festivals in Vilnius in 1994 and 1998, and took part in the Lithuanian Song Festival in 1997. He gave many concerts in Lithuanian cities and towns, performed in Romania (1975), Bulgaria (1981), Poland (1995), Tallinn (Estonia) and Moscow (Russia), and made recordings for Lithuanian radio and television. The choir won the V Stasys Šimkus Competition in Klaipėda in 1981, first prizes in the J. Naujalis Competitions in Raudondvaris in 1986 and 1988, and in the Republican Competition "Singing Labour Lithuania" in 1987. "Gintaras' concert programmes included several hundred contemporary and foreign classics.

From 1999 until the end of his life, he was the director of the Kretinga Chamber Choir.

In 1976, G. Purlys formed a mixed vocal ensemble at the Klaipėda Seaport Culture Palace and won the title of laureate at the Republican "Silver Voices" competition in Palanga in 1976.

Since 1979 he was the director of the Klaipėda Teachers' House mixed choir. The choir was a laureate and prize-winner of the IV S. Šimkus Competition in 1979 and a prize-winner of the Republican Song Festival Competition in 1980.

Since 1980, G. Purlys, together with R. Songaila, has been the leader of the women's choir of the Klaipėda Cotton Production Association "Trinyčiai". The choir became a laureate of the 1981 V Stasys Šimkus Competition and gave a number of concerts. 

1982-1989 he was the director of the Klaipėda Dujofikacijos Board's mixed choir and vocal ensembles. He prepared the choir for the 1985 Republican Song Festival.

Since 1988 he was for some time the leader of a small group of singers called "Atgaja", which promoted religious music and sang many times in the churches of Žemaitija, the Vilnius Archcathedral, and sang at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius.

After coming to the USA, in 1989-1991 in Cleveland (Cleveland, Ohio), G. Purlys led the M. K. Čiurlionis Ensemble of Lithuanian Folk Art, with which he gave concerts in Cleveland, Chicago, Detroit, Washington, Philadelphia, New York, and elsewhere. In Cleveland, he gave the ensemble's 50th anniversary concert. The ensemble came to Lithuania and gave concerts in Kretinga, Panevėžys, Kaunas, Klaipėda and Vilnius. 

While living abroad, G. Purlys was the conductor of the 7th Lithuanian-American-Canadian Lithuanian Song Celebration in Chicago in 1991.

From1985 to 1997, Purlys was the director of the chamber choir of the Plunge Culture House. The choir gave concerts in Žemaitija towns, sang in churches and St. Peter's Cathedral in Riga, and took part in the 1st World Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius in 1994. On several occasions with chamber orchestras they performed A. Vivaldi cantata "Gloria" and W. Mozzart's "Coronation Mass". The choir took part in the 1997 Baltic-Nordic Choir Festival in Gotland (Sweden).

Since 1990 G. Purlys has been the director of the Great Suma Choir and organist of the Klaipėda Church of the Queen of Peace. The choir took part in the 1st World Lithuanian Song Festival in Vilnius in 1994 and in the 20th Klaipėda Music Spring Concerts in 1995 - together with the Plungė Chamber Choir and the Port City Chamber Orchestra they performed W.

G. Purlys was a member of the Klaipėda Choral Society "Aukuras", a member or chairman of the jury of choirs and vocal ensembles. In 1988 he was the chief conductor of the Joint Student Choir of the Baltic Conservatories, conductor of the Klaipėda City, Kretinga, Plungė, Telšiai and Mažeikiai district song festivals, conductor of the Baltic Student Song Festivals "Gaudeamus" in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius in 1981, 1984 and 1988, conductor of the Baltic Student Song Festival "Gaudeamus" in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius in 1993. Conductor of the 1993 Lithuanian Youth Minor Song Festival in Vilnius, conductor of the 1993 Joint Choir at the Hill of Crosses near Šiauliai, conductor of the 1st and 2nd World Lithuanian Song Festivals in Vilnius in 1994 and 1998. 

G. Purlys has also been involved in scientific methodological and publishing work. He harmonised and arranged about 100 songs and hymns, compiled a collection of songs for mixed choirs of secondary schools "Draugystės žvaigždės" (1985), prepared the third book of A. Mikulskis' works "Tau, dear Homeland" (published in 1991 in Chicago, the USA), and helped to publish the first edition of the book "Tau, dear Homeland" by A. Mikulskis' national mass "For Suffering Lithuania" (1996) and adapted it for a mixed choir of four voices, compiled and edited the collection of vocal music by V. Jancis "Mano džiaugsmui" (1995), edited and prepared for the press 48 harmonised Lithuanian folk songs by K. V. Banaicis (1998), published the collections of hymns "Mūsų giesmės. 2" (1998), "Prailgo dienos" (compiled by Zita Kariniauskiene, 2000).

His Mass in Honour of Mary Queen of Peace (1996) won the first prize at the 3rd J. Naujalis Competition for Religious Music Choirs (1998). He also composed several songs for choirs, arranged Just. Marcinkevičius and G. Savina's song "Lithuania", which was performed at song festivals (1990, 1994).

G. Purlys was awarded the Lithuanian SSR Mark of Culture (1982).In his free time he worked in the countryside, rested in the countryside and nature.

He was married, his wife Audronė Piekutė-Purlienė (born in 1944) was a music pedagogue and choir leader. Daughters Vaiva Purlytė (b. 1971) - musician, pianist and expert music teacher, and Živilė Purlytė-Čapienė (b. 1974) - musician, pianist and music teacher, son Tadas Purlys (b. 1980).