After Shih Wei-liang took over as the fourth director of the Taiwan Provincial Symphony, he encouraged the creation and performance of works by composers in Taiwan by enlarging its "research group," which comprised Kuo, Lai Te-ho, Shen Chin-tang and others. Until 1986, when he retired, Kuo was continually creating new works.
史惟亮接任台灣省政府交響樂團第 4 任團長後，為鼓勵創作、演出國人作品，擴編省交研究部，聘請郭芝苑、賴德和、沈錦堂等多位作曲家任職，直到 1986 年退休，這段期間，郭芝苑始終創作不輟。