There's a lot of irony at work in that scene! It's in the third (final) part of the story. Here's what's going on as Grete plays her violin for the boarders:
1. Although her playing is beautiful and poignant, the three men who are supposed to be fine gentlemen aren't impressed, and they get bored with listening to her. Yet the one who truly appreciates the music, this most human expression of emotion, is Gregor, the bug. It's ironic because the "filthy" creature that frightens and shames the family appreciates the fine beauty of the music, while the men who are treated with utmost respect in the home don't appreciate the music at all:
"It quite clearly appeared as if they were disappointed in their assumption that they were going to hear a beautiful or entertaining violin performance, had had quite enough of the entire presentation, and now allowed themselves to be disturbed only out of politeness. The way that they all blew the smoke of their cigars up in the air out of their noses and mouths especially brought one to the conclusion that they were rather annoyed."
2. Similarly, notice how the narrator emphasizes how physically dirty Gregor has become, and then points out that the living room floor where Grete is playing for her audience is extremely clean:
"He would have had much more reason right now to hide himself, as the dust that lay over the whole of his room and which flew about at the slightest movement now covered him completely as well; he dragged threads, hair, and food scraps with him on his back and sides; he was far too indifferent about everything to lay on his back and rub himself on the carpet as he used to do multiple times during the day. In spite of these circumstances, he had no inhibitions about moving forward a little bit over the immaculate floor of the living room."
This is an ironic difference. The living room is clean, yet it's where something shameful is going on. And Gregor is dirty, yet he's the one feeling an intensely emotional longing for closeness with his sister. The narrator emphasizes this irony by asking:
"Was he an animal, that music would so move him?"
3. It's also ironic that Grete is hanging around at home, playing her violin for people who don't appreciate it, while Gregor is forced to stay hidden from her presence even though he was the one who had been earning money in order to send her to the conservatory to become a professional player. If things had happened normally, Gregor's earnings would have propelled Grete into a career as a violinist, and she would be playing for him and for the public. But her potential as a musician has, like Gregor himself, degraded and morphed into something shameful that must be kept away from the public.
4. Also, the fact that Gregor feels so tender toward his sister as she plays stands in ironic contrast to how she feels toward him: disgusted and ashamed. That he would continue to feel loving toward her while she forgets everything he's done to help the family--and while she goes on to talk about how to get rid of Gregor--is bitterly ironic.
5. Lastly, it's ironic how the "gentlemen" boarders are entertained and excited by the appearance of Gregor, a giant dirty bug, much more so than the beautiful violin playing they had just witnessed. Grete's playing makes them sit impatiently, looking around and smoking, but Gregor's appearance makes them jump up and pay attention:
"... the tenants were hardly upset and that Gregor entertained them more than the violin performance."
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