Kuo was born to Yuanli gentry in 1921, in the era of Japanese rule. When he was six, the family bought a violin. His father, who had wide-ranging knowledge about art, would often play old Taiwanese and Japanese songs. These are Kuo's earliest musical memories.
郭芝苑，1921 年日治大正 10 年生於苗栗苑裡的仕紳之家，6 歲時家裡購置一把小提琴，對藝術涉獵頗廣的父親經常演奏〈百家春〉等台灣古曲或日本歌〈籠中鳥〉，這是他對音樂最早的印象。